Pakistani opposition leader Imran Khan called on thousands of anti-government protesters to stop paying taxes and practice civil disobedience on Sunday until Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif steps down, according to Reuters.
Khan, who heads Parliament's third largest bloc, made the announcement at a rally in the capital calling for Sharif to step down over alleged voting fraud in the May 2013 election, the first democratic transfer of power in a country with a long history of military dictatorships, Reuters reported.
Khan also warned that his supporters would take over Parliament if Sharif does not resign within two days, according to Reuters.
"We decide today that we will not pay taxes to his illegitimate government, we will not pay electricity bills, gas bills," Khan said to a charged crowd estimated at 10,000 to 15,000 people, Reuters reported. "I urge all the traders to stop paying taxes."
Khan and cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri, a dual Canadian citizen with a wide following who spends most of his time abroad, have mounted twin protests that have brought thousands of people into the streets in Islamabad, according to Reuters. They accuse Sharif of rigging the election that brought him to power.
Finance Minister and Sharif ally Ishaq Dar called Khan's move unconstitutional, and Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid called the demand a "joke," but both ministers told SAMAA TV that their government was ready to negotiate with Khan over his demands for electoral reforms within the constitutional framework, Reuters reported.
Pakistani Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan said the government was setting up two separate committees of party leaders to open negotiations with Khan and Qadri, according to Reuters. "We are ready to accept all of your constitutional and legal demands," he said.
While the crowds have fallen well short of the million marchers that both men promised, their presence and the heightened security measures have virtually shut down business in the capital, Reuters reported.
The rallies have nevertheless remained festive, with families picnicking and men and women dancing to drums and national songs, according to Reuters.
