Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Pakistani Islamists Continue Sit-In, Demand PM Resign

Associated Press

   ISLAMABAD - Tens of thousands of Islamists remained in a protest camp
   in the heart of Pakistan's capital on Saturday amid tight security, as
   authorities deployed additional shipping containers and riot police to
   block access to key government buildings.

   The protest caravan rolled into Islamabad on Thursday led by firebrand
   cleric Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who heads the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party.
   He's given Prime Minister Imran Khan until Sunday night to resign over
   the country's economic hardships.

   Khan says he won't succumb to pressure.

   Rehman has hinted he may try to force Khan to step down by staging a
   mass march on the "Red Zone," where Parliament, the prime minister's
   residence, government offices and foreign embassies are located.

   Authorities in Islamabad were seen early Saturday moving more rows of
   massive shipping containers onto roads leading to the Red Zone.
   Paramilitary forces were also deployed.

   "This mammoth crowd has the capacity to arrest the prime minister
   themselves from the prime minister's house if he has not resigned
   within two days," Rehman said Friday night, while asking Pakistan's
   powerful military not to side with Khan.

   Service unavailable