ISLAMABAD, (Reuters) – Opposition leader Imran Khan opened negotiations yesterday with the Pakistani government, a lawmaker from his party said, in an effort to end protests against the prime minister and overcome a political impasse.
The announcement came the day after Pakistan’s powerful military said the two sides should engage in dialogue and warned that key government institutions were under its protection.
Former cricket star Khan and cleric Tahir ul-Qadri, who controls a network of Islamic schools and hospitals, have been leading protests in the capital Islamabad since Friday.
Both want Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to resign over allegations of corruption and election rigging. Sharif, who won the last election by a landslide, has refused.
The civilian government is seeking to cement its authority over the nuclear-armed nation of 180 million, after decades when the nation swung between democracy and military rule.
The South Asian nation is also plagued by high unemployment, daily power cuts and a Taliban insurgency, while anti-Western and violent sectarian groups are gaining strength.
Most protesters on the streets of Islamabad say they are demonstrating against government corruption, which they blame for the country’s widespread poverty.
In a speech to thousands of supporters, Khan said he would not stop protesting until Sharif quit, but backed away from a previous pledge to storm the prime minister’s house.
“I thought I would take you all to the prime minister’s house today,” he said. “(But) I thought his heart is already in bad shape. If I ask my followers to go in that direction (of his house) and he has heart attack – I cannot do that.”
