PAT, PTI protestors dig up graves around D-Chowk in Islamabad
Tahirul Qadri's 48-hour deadline to the government expires today.
ISLAMABAD (Web Desk / Agencies) – Amid deepening political crisis, the anti-government protestors belonging to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) have continued their sit-in on the Constitution Avenue demanding Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’resignation.
An unusual activity was witnessed around D-Chowk today (Wednesday) where several protestors were seen digging up graves.
Protestors dug the graves on the greenbelt of the D-Chowk and also displayed burial shrouds. The move came few hours before Dr Tahirul Qadri’s deadline to the government ends at 6:00pm today .
On Monday, Tahirul Qadri leading a mass anti-government rally in front of parliament issued a 48-hour deadline for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to step down, saying he s prepared to die to see it happen.
Tahir-ul-Qadri showed protesters a white burial shroud in a speech issuing the deadline for the prime minister, who has refused to step down.
It s not clear what Qadri plans to do after his deadline expires, though some have feared protesters may try to enter parliament, which is protected by soldiers. That could set off a violent confrontation.
Qadri and opposition politician Imran Khan separately led tens of thousands of people from eastern city of Lahore to Islamabad, protesting against alleged vote fraud in the 2013 elections that brought Sharif to power.
Both Khan and Qadri, a dual Pakistani-Canadian citizen with a wide following, also demand reforms in Pakistan s electoral system to prevent future vote fraud.
Meanwhile, protestors in large number are still present on the Constitution Avenue despite Supreme Court ruling that the road in front of the parliament, the apex court and other government buildings should be cleared of demonstrators.
While the crowds have fallen well short of 1 million marchers that both leaders promised, their presence and heightened security measures have affected life and badly harmed business in the capital.
