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Imran Khan's MPs set to resign Pakistan assembly seats | Imran Khan's MPs set to resign Pakistan assembly seats |
(35 minutes later) | |
Imran Khan's opposition party in Pakistan says it has decided to resign all its seats in the national assembly. | Imran Khan's opposition party in Pakistan says it has decided to resign all its seats in the national assembly. |
A senior member of party said they were trying to force Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to step down. | A senior member of party said they were trying to force Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to step down. |
The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) party has 34 of the national assembly's 342 seats, making it the second-biggest opposition group. | |
Mr Khan accuses Mr Sharif's party of vote rigging in the 2013 election and has called on him to stand down. | |
Mr Sharif won that vote by a landslide. | |
Shah Mehmud Qureshi, a senior PTI leader, said the party would also withdraw from three out of four provincial assemblies in Pakistan. | Shah Mehmud Qureshi, a senior PTI leader, said the party would also withdraw from three out of four provincial assemblies in Pakistan. |
The fourth province, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, is under PTI control and officials there would not resign, he said. | |
The MPs' resignations must be submitted to the national assembly speaker but correspondents said this would not happen on Monday as parliament had adjourned for the day. | The MPs' resignations must be submitted to the national assembly speaker but correspondents said this would not happen on Monday as parliament had adjourned for the day. |
Mr Khan said he will join his supporters to march on Islamabad's "red zone" on Tuesday, an area of Pakistan's capital that houses key government buildings and foreign embassies. | |
The government has repeatedly said it will not allow protests in the heavily protected district and the BBC's Shahzeb Jillani says physical confrontation is likely if the march goes ahead. | |
The cricketer-turned-politician has been demonstrating along with thousands of his supporters in the capital Islamabad since Friday to demand fresh elections. | |
But the BBC's Ilyas Khan says Mr Sharif's government is likely to ignore calls for a re-election. | But the BBC's Ilyas Khan says Mr Sharif's government is likely to ignore calls for a re-election. |
Mr Khan's rally took place at the same time as a similar demonstration by anti-government cleric Tahirul Qadri, who told crowds that the protests must continue until they bring a "peaceful revolution". | Mr Khan's rally took place at the same time as a similar demonstration by anti-government cleric Tahirul Qadri, who told crowds that the protests must continue until they bring a "peaceful revolution". |
Mr Sharif's victory was the first democratic transfer of power in Pakistan, which has a long history of coups. | Mr Sharif's victory was the first democratic transfer of power in Pakistan, which has a long history of coups. |
Critics say Mr Qadri has close ties to Pakistan's armed forces, but he told the BBC on Monday that he has "never been in contact with the military establishment." | Critics say Mr Qadri has close ties to Pakistan's armed forces, but he told the BBC on Monday that he has "never been in contact with the military establishment." |
Supporters of Mr Khan and Mr Qadri are angry about Pakistan's poorly performing economy, growing militancy, and the government's failure to deliver services such as a steady electricity supply. | Supporters of Mr Khan and Mr Qadri are angry about Pakistan's poorly performing economy, growing militancy, and the government's failure to deliver services such as a steady electricity supply. |
But other opposition figures have criticised the demonstrations and Mr Khan's call for people to stop paying tax bills in protest at the government. | But other opposition figures have criticised the demonstrations and Mr Khan's call for people to stop paying tax bills in protest at the government. |
Former president Asif Ali Zardari, co-chairman of the Pakistan People's Party, the largest opposition party, said such "unconstitutional means" would not help the cause. | Former president Asif Ali Zardari, co-chairman of the Pakistan People's Party, the largest opposition party, said such "unconstitutional means" would not help the cause. |
"Democracy will not be served by calls for civil disobedience nor by a stubborn refusal by any side to engage in a meaningful dialogue on political issues," Mr Zardari said in a statement. | "Democracy will not be served by calls for civil disobedience nor by a stubborn refusal by any side to engage in a meaningful dialogue on political issues," Mr Zardari said in a statement. |