IT’S SHOW TIME!

• Tens of thousands of supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehreek Chairman Dr Tahirul Qadri gather in Islamabad ‘to topple the govt’
• Govt allows PTI to hold sit-in at Aabpara while Qadri’s followers have been permitted to hold gathering at Khayaban-e-Suharwardy

Tens of thousands of anti-government protesters have gathered in the federal capital Islamabad following the arrival of convoys led cricket star-turned-politician Imran Khan and fiery cleric Dr Tahirul Qadri late on Friday night.

The government has allowed Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to hold its sit-in at Aabpara while Qadri’s Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) has been allowed to hold its protest sit-in at Khyaban-e-Suharwardy, some kilometres away from the PTI’s protest venue.

The twin protests led by Imran Khan and Qadri represent the biggest challenge yet to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s year-old government. The protesters left Lahore on Thursday, vowing to camp out until their demands for a new government are met. They remained on the road for two days before entering Islamabad shortly before midnight. Police estimate the crowd at 60,000 people.

Imran Khan and Qadri had not shown up at their designated venues by the time this report was made at 1.30am on Saturday.

Meanwhile, thousands of their charged supporters were present at the venues waiting to hear their respective leaders’ next orders as the entire nation waits with bated breath for the outcome of the two protests that has seen the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on the tenterhooks for the last two months.

In Islamabad, authorities blocked main roads with shipping containers and barbed wire in an effort to control the marches.

Riot police were out in force, but thousands of protesters began to gather, singing and dancing despite heavy rain as they prepared to welcome Khan and Qadri to the city. The mood was festive, with many protesters snapping photos of each other or swapping jokes with police.

“We think Imran Khan will make a better country for the youth,” said 25-year-old Muhammad Taraki at Khan’s rally point. “I have a bachelor’s degree, but I cannot get a job.”

Some members of Sharif’s party have suggested the protests are secretly backed by elements in the military, which has had an uneasy relationship with Sharif. To what extent Khan and Qadri can destabilise the government is likely to depend on the stance taken by the armed forces, which has a long history of mounting coups.

Few people fear a coup, but many officials think the threat of unrest will increase the military’s hold over the government.

The military has been frustrated with the government, in particular over the prosecution of former army chief and president Pervez Musharraf for treason.

There has been disagreement, too, between the government and the army on how to handle the Taliban. The government insisted on peace talks but eventually the army launched an offensive.

REFEREE?

The government is also struggling to overcome power shortages, high unemployment and spiralling crime – the legacy of decades of corruption and neglect. Anger over the economy means the protests appeal to many disillusioned young Pakistanis.

Both protest leaders also command intense personal loyalty from their followers. Khan is a famed former international cricketer, known for his charity work, who now heads the third- largest legislative bloc in the country. He is protesting alleged irregularities in last year’s voting.

Qadri, a cleric and political activist who usually lives in Canada, controls a network of schools and Islamic charities. His followers intend to occupy Jinnah Avenue, Islamabad’s main thoroughfare.

“We will not go back until Sharif resigns,” said Qadri’s spokesman, Shahid Mursaleen. “They killed our people. There is no way we can make a deal with them.”

Qadri has accused police of killing 22 of his supporters during clashes in Lahore in June and this month. Police confirmed 11 deaths. About 2,000 of Qadri’s supporters were also arrested this month, police said.

Most observers expect the military to play referee – to maintain security but not support action to force Sharif out.

“Imran will not get from the army what he was expecting,” said an analyst close to the military. “If there was any confusion earlier about whether the army would help Imran or rescue him or topple the government, there should be none now. There is no question of army intervention.”