This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-28832480
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Pakistan protesters to march on Islamabad secure red zone | Pakistan protesters to march on Islamabad secure red zone |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Security has been tightened in the secure zone of Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, after protest leader Imran Khan called on marchers to enter it. | Security has been tightened in the secure zone of Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, after protest leader Imran Khan called on marchers to enter it. |
| The government has forbidden protesters from breaching the highly secure so-called red zone housing key state buildings and foreign embassies. | The government has forbidden protesters from breaching the highly secure so-called red zone housing key state buildings and foreign embassies. |
| There are fears that any attempt by marchers to breach this order could lead to confrontation. | There are fears that any attempt by marchers to breach this order could lead to confrontation. |
| Thousands of anti-government protesters are occupying two Islamabad highways. | Thousands of anti-government protesters are occupying two Islamabad highways. |
| On Monday MPs from Imran Khan's PTI party vowed to quit their national assembly seats. | On Monday MPs from Imran Khan's PTI party vowed to quit their national assembly seats. |
| The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) party has 34 of the national assembly's 342 seats, making it the second-biggest opposition group. The lawmakers have yet to tender their formal resignations to the speaker of the national assembly. | The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) party has 34 of the national assembly's 342 seats, making it the second-biggest opposition group. The lawmakers have yet to tender their formal resignations to the speaker of the national assembly. |
| The party said it would also resign from seats on provincial assemblies, except for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which it governs. | The party said it would also resign from seats on provincial assemblies, except for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which it governs. |
| 'First to fall' | 'First to fall' |
| Imran Khan, the cricketer-turned-politician, has been demonstrating along with thousands of his supporters in the capital since Friday to demand the government's resignation. | Imran Khan, the cricketer-turned-politician, has been demonstrating along with thousands of his supporters in the capital since Friday to demand the government's resignation. |
| He accuses Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's PML-N party of vote-rigging in the 2013 election and has called on him to stand down. Mr Sharif's party won that election by a landslide in what was Pakistan's first peaceful transfer of power between two civilian democratic governments. | He accuses Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's PML-N party of vote-rigging in the 2013 election and has called on him to stand down. Mr Sharif's party won that election by a landslide in what was Pakistan's first peaceful transfer of power between two civilian democratic governments. |
| The government has accused the protesters of attempting to derail democracy yet have also offered talks on their concerns, but these have been rejected. | The government has accused the protesters of attempting to derail democracy yet have also offered talks on their concerns, but these have been rejected. |
| Along with Mr Khan, anti-government cleric Tahirul Qadri mobilised supporters to march on Islamabad and they are camped out in the city. The cleric has said his supporters will also march on parliament at the same time as Mr Khan's. | |
| "My blood is boiling today and I want to be martyred," protester and Imran Khan supporter Shams Khan, who travelled from the north-west, told the Reuters news agency . | |
| "If we don't go into the Red Zone today, I will quit this party tomorrow." | |
| Anger over services | Anger over services |
| Security around the red zone has been massively increased, correspondents say, with more police and paramilitary troops deployed there. | Security around the red zone has been massively increased, correspondents say, with more police and paramilitary troops deployed there. |
| One report from the Express Tribune newspaper said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif would allow protestors to enter the red zone but not the most sensitive areas. The report also said the PM had made it clear force was not to be used against the protesters. | One report from the Express Tribune newspaper said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif would allow protestors to enter the red zone but not the most sensitive areas. The report also said the PM had made it clear force was not to be used against the protesters. |
| Imran Khan has spent the night in a shipping container at the site of the sit-in but he tweeted on Tuesday that he would lead the march into the red zone, calling it a "defining moment" for Pakistan. | Imran Khan has spent the night in a shipping container at the site of the sit-in but he tweeted on Tuesday that he would lead the march into the red zone, calling it a "defining moment" for Pakistan. |
| The protesters have said they will set off at about 17:00 local time (13:00GMT) | The protesters have said they will set off at about 17:00 local time (13:00GMT) |
| 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. |
| In a country with a history of military coups, there is a fear of violence and of a possible army reaction, correspondents say. |