Pakistan denies reports of possible PM resignation
Iran Press TV
Mon Sep 1, 2014 5:39PM GMT
The Pakistani military has rejected reports that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is to step down amid a growing political unrest in the country.
The website for the Inter Services Public Relations, the military's publicity wing, said in a statement on Monday that reports of a meeting between the prime minister and the army chief and the possibility of Sharif’s resignation are "totally baseless."
A number of regional and Western media had reported that Pakistani army chief General Raheel Sharif had met with the embattled prime minister, asking him to resign for three months.
The opposition has called on the prime minister to resign for a temporary three-month period to let an independent probe into alleged fraud in last year's general elections.
Meanwhile fresh clashes were reported between anti-government protesters and police in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad.
The scuffles broke out when hundreds of anti-government protesters were trying to march toward the residence of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Police used tear gas to disperse protesters.
This comes as three people were killed and hundreds injured in violent clashes on Saturday night when the protesters attempted to enter the residence of the prime minister in Islamabad.
Earlier on Monday, hundreds of protesters stormed the headquarters of Pakistan’s state-run television channel, PTV, and its English-language, PTV World service.
According to witnesses the military was called in to escort the protesters out of the building peacefully and the station later came back on air.
Pakistan has been the scene of anti-government protests since August 14.
The opposition protesters, led by Pakistani politician Imran Khan, and cleric Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, accuse Nawaz Sharif of corruption and rigging last year’s general elections which saw Sharif take power.
The Pakistani government says it is trying to re-open negotiations with opposition groups.
NGD/AB
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