Pakistan protesters flood Islambad

Tens of thousands converge on capital for
protests led by opposition leader Imran Khan
and cleric Tahir- ul - Qadri.
Tens of thousands of protesters have arrived in
the Pakistani capital Islamabad, where
opposition politician Imran Khan and anti -
government cleric Tahir ul- Qadri are leading
demonstrations calling for the government to
resign .
Khan ’s Pakistan Tehreek - e - Insaf (PTI ) has
called for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his
government to quit over alleged election rigging
in the 2013 polls . He has called for fresh polls to
be held across the country .
“We have the strength to topple Nawaz Sharif’ s
fake mandate, ” he told supporters while en route
to the capital. Khan ’s party won 34 seats in
Pakistan’s national assembly in those elections ,
compared to Sharif’ s PML - N’s 189, and the then -
incumbent Pakistan People ’s Party ’s 46 .
"There is no route to justice left other than to
take to the streets . I invite all Pakistanis here to
fight for your freedom. No - one will give you your
freedom on a plate . You have to fight for it , "
added Khan .
Qadri, meanwhile , has called for a national
government of bureaucrats , technocrats and
others to be formed , ahead of a “ revolution” to
change Pakistan’s political system .
“The whole thing will be very peaceful . The
government has to resign , and the assemblies
have to be dissolved and the new system has to
take their place, ” Qadri told Al Jazeera ahead
of his arrival in the capital.
The two protest convoys set off from the city of
Lahore, about 370km south of Islamabad,
separately on Thursday , and , after taking hours
to cover the first few kilometres of their journey ,
picked up both pace and supporters as they made
their way through Punjab , Pakistan’ s most
populous province , on Friday .
Both leaders are expected to address their
supporters at separate rallies in government
designated protest sites in the Aabpara and Zero
Point areas.
Khan convoy attacked
On Friday , Khan ’ s convoy was attacked by a
stone-throwing mob , some of whom allegedly
carried posters of Sharif and his party ’ s leaders ,
in the city of Gujranwala . Khan was unharmed,
but several of his supporters sustained minor
injuries .
Khan arrived at the protest site at about 2 : 45 am
local time on Saturday (21 : 45 GMT on Friday ) ,
completing a journey that normally takes about
six hours in a little over 36 hours . He has
threatened to occupy the site, along with his
supporters , until Sharif’ s government resigns .
Qadri’ s supporters have made a similar threat .
“Our mandate was stolen by these people , ” said
Moin Akhtar Khan , a 19 - year- old labourer who
travelled from his home in Malakand , about
190km away, to join the protest in Islamabad on
Thursday. “ We will stay here until this government
falls .”
Policemen largely watched from the sidelines as
the protesters gathered in the Aabpara and Zero
Point areas of the capital, chanting slogans ,
singing songs and waving flags ahead of their
respective party leaders ’ arrivals .
Protesters were periodically drenched as short
torrential downpours hit the city throughout the
day, but the rain appeared to have done little to
dampen the spirits of those assembled .
“Nawaz Sharif has had a chance , and he has
never done anything , ” said Naziha Begum, 75 , a
supporter of Qadri and his Pakistan Awami
Tehreek . “ We will stay here until the system
changes – we’re here for as long as it takes .”