Pakistani police, protesters clash

Police used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the demonstrators who marched from the parliament building in the capital, Islamabad, on Saturday, headed for the official residence of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The DPA news agency quoted Islamabad police chief Khalid Khattak who said that many of the protesters were armed with axes, hammers and wire cutters.

Medical sources said more than 100 people had been injured in the clashes, with some sources putting the casualty figure as high as 300.

Police did not provide an estimate of just how many people were involved in the demonstration, but the AFP news agency put the figure at around 25,000.

Election fraud allegations

The demonstrators, led by former cricket star-turned opposition politician Imran Kahn and Pakistani-Canadian anti-government cleric Tahir ul-Qadri, are demanding that the prime minister step down over what they claim was massive voter fraud, which helped Sharif win the 2013 election.

On Saturday, Sharif again said he would not resign.

Earlier in the day, Kahn and Qadri had delivered speeches to the protesters who had been staging a sit-in in front of parliament for the past fortnight to march on the premier's official residence to back up their demand that he step down. However, both urged the protesters to remain peaceful and they also called on the security forces to refrain from using force.

Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan, who visited the scene of he protests, defended the use of force to break up the rally.

"A group wanted to capture the prime minister's house and other buildings. We are under oath, and the police as well, to protect the state assets," he was cited by DPA as saying.

Saturday's clashes came just days after the country's military chief offered to try to mediate an end to the crisis.

pfd/crh (Reuters, dpa, AFP)