ISLAMABAD: Imran Khan on Sunday called on thousands of protesters rallying in Islamabad to launch a civil disobedience movement against the government, as a leading cleric declared that only a "revolution" would bring about change.
"There is only one way to get rid of this government, which is to launch a civil disobedience campaign from today, addressing the protesters he had led to the capital from the eastern city of Lahore.
He appealed to the people to stop paying utility bills and taxes to the current government, accusing Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of plundering national wealth to furnish his business empire.
"I am giving a two-day deadline to the government," he said, without expanding on the nature of the deadline.
Imran added that after two days he would not be able to stop his workers from marching on the prime minister's house in the "Red Zone", where government buildings and embassies are located.
Interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan told a press conference in Islamabad Sunday night that the government had decided to set up two separate committees to negotiate with Imran and Dr. Tahir-ul-Qadri.
"The committees will have members from all political parties," the minister said, adding that the groups would be formed Monday and would start work the same day.
Thousands of opposition demonstrators crowded the streets of the Pakistani capital for a second day Sunday, after Dr. Qadri issued a 48-hour ultimatum demanding the arrest of Sharif.
Addressing supporters Sunday, the populist cleric said that what he called a corrupt system of governance could not be changed without a revolution.
"The country's survival will be at stake if Nawaz Sharif and his cronies are allowed to rule the country," Qadri said.
"We don't want mid-term elections what we want is revolution," he said, adding that corruption and plundering of the national wealth was rampant. "We will not allow this system to continue any more".
Comments
Comments are closed.