Pakistan Parliament backs Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif amid protests

Islamabad: Amid fears of violence and army intervention in the coup prone nation, a cornered Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday turned to Parliament for support with his government slamming the protests as a “mutiny against Pakistan”. Leaders from across the political spectrum backed Mr Sharif at an emergency joint session of the Parliament convened to support the PM and discuss the current impasse.

Most of the leaders expressed their resolute support for Sharif in the wake of anti-government protests headed by PTI chairman Imran Khan and cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri of the Pakistan Awami Tehreek. “This Parliament should remove the misconception that this is a democratic process. This is not a protest, not a dharna or a political gathering. This is mutiny against Pakistan,” interior minister Chaudhry Nisar told Parliament.

“They reached the gates of the Supreme Court, of Parliament... yesterday they entered another state building and chanted slogans of 'Tahir-ul-Qadri Zindabad',” he said, referring to the storming of the PTV Islamabad office. Mr Nisar said the protesters were armed and had support of up to 1,500 trained militants of an extremist organisation which he did not name. The Supreme Court, hearing a set of petitions against the protests, issued notices to all parties to resolve the impasse within the parameters of the Constitution. Another court dismissed a plea seeking disqualification of Mr Sharif for “lying to the nation.”