Islamabad (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Law enforcement officials in Islamabad fired warning shots and tear gas in the air against demonstrators who took to the streets to join the "long anti-corruption march " conceived and promoted by the religious leader Tahirul Qadri . The clashes broke out after the protesters started throwing stones at the public security officials, deployed outside the Parliament to protect the building. The leader of the initiative - called "A million march", which was launched in Lahore on January 13 and reached the capital of Pakistan late last night - has launched a challenge to the government, demanding electoral reforms and a multifaceted struggle against corruption.
Tahirul Qadri (center photo), a leading Sunni cleric, called for the military and the judiciary to be involved in the formation of an interim government to lead the country until the next election. The legislature should be completed by March next year, and then a vote held within the next six weeks. The authorities accuse him of wanting to postpone the date and return power to the army.
A spokesman for Qadri said that the demonstrations have served to protect the leader from an attempt to arrest him. At the moment there are no reports of injuries, but the information is still fragmentary. Previously, authorities had warned protesters in the capital of the closure of the city center, adding that the army would strike without hesitation in case of disturbances or violations of the law.
Addressing the activists, during a speech last night from a stage erected at Jinnah Avenue, Islamabad, Qadri told the tens of thousands of protesters that "morally, your government and your assemblies have concluded [their mandate] tonight", giving the executive "until tomorrow " to" dissolve the house and the provincial assemblies. "
Experts in Pakistani politics and government leadership claim that the Sunni cleric is strongly supported by the military, one of the main powers in Pakistan, and is being exploited by senior officers to regain control of national politics. An accusation he vehemently denies, but without fully dissipating doubts. Moreover, Qadri was one of the closest supporters of the former dictator and president, General Pervez Musharraf, who seized power in 1999 with a coup.