Pakistan army chief calls meeting of commanders after weekend of violence In a move that at the very least raises the prospect of the military taking a more central role in the stand-off between protesters and the government that has seen parts of Islamabad brought to a halt for two-and-a-half weeks, General Raheel Sharif brought forward a meeting of his so-called corps commanders. The announcement came after a weekend that saw protesters clashing with police, as the demonstrators tried to march on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s official residence. Police responded by firing tear gas and hitting protesters will bamboo sticks. The 20,000 or so demonstrators who have besieged Islamabad are part of two different protest groups. One is led by cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, who has claimed last year’s election which Mr Sharif won handsomely was rigged. The other group is lead by a Muslim cleric who usually lives in Canada, Tahir ul-Qadri, who also claims Mr Sharif is corrupt. Both groups have said they will not leave until the government stands down and have urged their supporters at their protest camps to stand firm.
Posted on: Sun, 31 Aug 2014 16:54:46 +0000
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