Soldiers are guarding the offices of Pakistan’s state TV channel today as the country plunges deeper into political crisis and protesters battled police in the streets of the capital, Islamabad.
The army chief, Raheel Sharif, met the prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, as talks continued to end three days of violence in which at least three people have died and dozens more have been injured.
Protesters, led by the former cricketer turned politician Imran Khan and Tahir ul-Qadri, a firebrand cleric with Canadian citizenship, have been calling for the resignation of Mr Sharif amid allegations of widespread vote rigging in last year’s election.
Up to 300 protesters – including some armed with clubs – stormed the offices of PTV, the main state TV channel, earlier today and briefly cut transmissions.
Security forces, including members of the paramilitary rangers, were later seen escorting protesters from the building, including some who cheered the arrival of members of the military.
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Although international observers viewed the election of Mr Sharif in May 2013 as credible, the mounting crisis has prompted fears about stability in the nuclear-armed country of 180 million people, which is battling an Islamist insurgency and a separatist campaign by its biggest state, Baluchistan.
Last night a statement from the military, which has run the country for more than 33 of the 67 years since it won independence, said it viewed the current political crisis with “serious concern”.
It said the “army remains committed to playing its part in ensuring security of the state and will never fall short of meeting national aspirations”.
The statement also “reaffirmed” its commitment for democracy.