Pakistani Prime Minister faces pressure to resign

Thousands of the anti-government protestors from across the country have gathered in the Pakistani capital Islamabad.

They are blocking the roads leading to the Prime Minister’s House ……and have filed the air will slogans of ‘Change’.

The protestors, mostly young boys and girls, move their bodies slowly to the beats of the revolutionary songs.

Actress and model Iffat Umer is one of them.

“I’ve never attended any political gathering. But, tonight I’m here with my daughters because we want change.. Inshallah Imran Khan will bring about a change.”

Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan is leading this movement from a shipping container set in the middle of the tent city inhabited by his supporters. 

He alleges that there was massive vote rigging in last May’s general election.

“Our first demand is that the Prime Minister should resign. Second demand is for new elections. Thirdly electoral reforms should be made so that future polls are transparent. Fourth demand is installing a caretaker government to conduct elections. Fifth is that all the election commissioners, whom the government had appointed to favor it, should resign. Our last demand is that all those, who rigged the election, in partnership with Nawaz Sharif, should be put in jails and tried for treason under the article 6 of the Constitution.”

On September 1 after three weeks of the sit-in the anti-government protestors stormed the Parliament and the state television station.

Three protestors were killed and nearly five hundred injured in clashes between the police.

The violence raised concern about the possibility of a Military coup.

Javed Hashmi, the President of the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf left the protest government when things became violence.

“I had advised Imran Khan not to allow his activists to occupy the Parliament or any other state institution’s buildings. But, he said the army wants to come forward. Imran said we need the army’s help for success. But I think it could be disastrous.”

But Imran Khan has also said that he is opposed to any outright coup….. And Nawaz Sharif -- who was elected as Prime Minister for third time in the last elections -- is refusing to step down.

Khawaja Saad Rafique is the Federal Minister for railways.

“If we surrender to the style of bully and pressure then there will be the law of jungle in our country. The baton wielding and masked people can be the criminals, but not the political activists. Both leaders must listen to each other so that we do not let this happen. No group can derail us from the path of democracy. Prime Minister and the Chief Minister will not resign this way. If it happens what will happen to the future leaders?

Pakistan was ruled by a military-backed dictators for nearby four decades.

The last year’s elections were the first democratic transfer of power in the countries history.

Journalist with The News International Pakistan Shahid Hussain says that it will take time for Pakistan to mature into a true democracy.

“Naturally rigging in some constituencies has taken place. Rigging has been taking place since the inception of Pakistan. Like India if we have three or four elections without any break the rigging will come to an end or almost end. So, the democratic system should continue and the military should not intervene.”