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Pakistani anti-corruption march reaches Islamabad | Pakistani anti-corruption march reaches Islamabad |
(about 4 hours later) | |
An influential Pakistani preacher and thousands of his supporters have reached Islamabad on Monday as part of a "long march" against corruption. | An influential Pakistani preacher and thousands of his supporters have reached Islamabad on Monday as part of a "long march" against corruption. |
Tahirul Qadri, a preacher who returned to Pakistan from Canada last month, is leading a call for electoral reforms. | Tahirul Qadri, a preacher who returned to Pakistan from Canada last month, is leading a call for electoral reforms. |
He left the city of Lahore on Sunday with thousands of supporters, and reached Islamabad late on Monday, where he addressed crowds near parliament. | |
The authorities accuse him of trying to postpone elections due by May. | The authorities accuse him of trying to postpone elections due by May. |
The cleric wants the military and judiciary to be involved in installing a caretaker government to oversee the forthcoming elections. | |
The government is due to disband in March, and elections must then be held within six weeks. | The government is due to disband in March, and elections must then be held within six weeks. |
Ultimatum | |
Addressing tens of thousands of supporters in the capital late on Monday night, Mr Qadri called for provincial assemblies to make way for a caretaker administration. | |
He wants measures put in place to prevent corrupt people or criminals from standing for elected office. | |
"Morally, your government and your assemblies have ended tonight," he said from behind bullet-proof glass on a stage erected on Jinnah Avenue, less than a mile from Pakistan's parliament. | |
"I will give [the government] a deadline until tomorrow to dissolve the federal parliament and provincial assemblies. After that, the people's assembly here will take their own decision." | |
Earlier, his black chauffeur-driven car was showered with pink rose petals as it approached the stage in Pakistan's main city. | |
By the time his procession reached Islamabad, an estimated 10,000 people had joined the slow-moving convoy of cars, buses and trucks - more crowds were waiting in Islamabad to greet the cleric. | |
An extra 15,000 police had been deployed on the streets and many parts of the capital were sealed off. | |
Authorities in the capital had warned that Mr Qadri and his supporters would not be allowed into the city centre. The government had warned that militants may target the marchers. | |
Mr Qadri's flamboyant preaching style and expensive television campaigns have raised his profile in Pakistan in recent weeks. | Mr Qadri's flamboyant preaching style and expensive television campaigns have raised his profile in Pakistan in recent weeks. |
But there has also been widespread speculation that he is backed by Pakistan's powerful military, and is being used to reassert the army's control over Pakistani politics. | But there has also been widespread speculation that he is backed by Pakistan's powerful military, and is being used to reassert the army's control over Pakistani politics. |
Mr Qadri has rejected this allegation. "I have no link with military institutions," he told Reuters. "I am one of the biggest staunch believers... of democracy in the whole world." | |
He was a prominent supporter of former army chief Pervez Musharraf when he seized power in a coup in 1999, and served in the national assembly under him before moving to Canada in 2006, where he ran a charity. | He was a prominent supporter of former army chief Pervez Musharraf when he seized power in a coup in 1999, and served in the national assembly under him before moving to Canada in 2006, where he ran a charity. |
In December he was able to mobilise tens of thousands of supporters at a rally in Lahore, but it remains unclear how much support he enjoys across the country. | In December he was able to mobilise tens of thousands of supporters at a rally in Lahore, but it remains unclear how much support he enjoys across the country. |