By Aamir Latif
ISLAMABAD
Pakistani opposition politician Imran Khan, who has been staging a sit-in in capital Islamabad, called for a civil disobedience movement Sunday to press Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to step down.
"Pakistanis, listen: Time has come to practice civil disobedience. Don't pay any taxes, don't pay electricity bills, don't pay any other bills from now on," the cricketer-turned-politician told thousands of his supporters who cheered to welcome the announcement.
Khan, who set off his long march from the northeastern city of Lahore on Thursday and entered Islamabad on the following day to protest against alleged vote rigging in last year's general elections, gave a 48-hour deadline to the prime minister to step down.
He threatened that otherwise his supporters would start marching towards the parliament house. "I will not be responsible for any consequence after two days if you don't resign," Khan shouted.
Another anti-government march led by influential religious leader Dr. Tahir-ul Qadri also demands the resignation of Sharif and all four chief ministers, and the dissolution of the parliament and the election commission. He too has given a 48-hour deadline to the government for acceptance of his demands, which have been rejected by the government and all mainstream political and religious parties.
In response to the crisis, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has ordered the formation of two committees to negotiate with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf of Imran Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehrik of Qadri.
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan told a press conference soon after Imran Khan's call for civil disobedience that the committees would be comprising two members each from mainstream political parties including the ruling Pakistan Muslim League.
The committees will start negotiations with Khan and Qadri separately from Monday, he said.
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