ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is standing on the verge of political turmoil, a mere 15 months after its first peaceful democratic transition, as protesters surround parliament and the public asks what the military will do.

Former cricketing hero Imran Khan and firebrand cleric Tahirul Qadri have taken their anti-government protests - and thousands of supporters - to Pakistan’s political heart, Islamabad’s Red Zone, home to parliament, key government offices and numerous diplomatic missions.

Khan said he is protesting what he calls the rigging of last year’s polls, which brought Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to power. Qadri said he wants to reform the electoral and political system. They insist they will stay put until Sharif steps down.

As ever in Pakistan, the role of the military - which at various times has ruled for more than half the 65 years since Pakistan’s independence - is under close scrutiny and the subject of intense speculation.

Many believe the army tacitly supports the protesters because it is not happy with Sharif for refusing to pardon former military ruler Pervez Musharraf, who is facing charges of treason.

Neither do the generals support Sharif’s efforts to improve ties with archrival India, observers said, suggesting that Khan and Qadri are being used simply as political tools to attack Sharif.

“The fight is to end Sharif’s government as he is not acceptable to some circles in the country,” political analyst Imtiaz Alam told private TV.

“The whole show could pave the way for a takeover by a third party,” warned Sirajul Haq, chief of the right-wing Jamaat-i-Islami party, using a common allusion to the army.

With no meetings held between the government and protest representatives and no sign that the opposition will back down on their central demand that Sharif resign, there is currently little hope of a political solution.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said the government was ready to accept demands for an overhaul of the electoral and political systems but Sharif would never resign.

“He is legally elected, and no one has the right to force him to quit through illegal means,” he said.

The protesters, who have camped in Islamabad since last week, are equally stubborn.

“We will not go back unless Nawaz resigns, and we will march on his residence if he fails to meet our demand,” Khan told his supporters Wednesday.

Qadri went a step further and asked his supporters to lay siege to the parliament building.

“No one should be allowed to enter or leave this building,” he said.

As hundreds of men flocked to the main entrance of the palatial structure, parliamentarians, including Sharif, used a back door to exit.

In a rare pronouncement, the army has asked protesters to remain calm.

“[The] situation requires patience, wisdom and sagacity from all stakeholders,” Major General Asim Saleem Bajwa tweeted.

Leaders of the demonstration have promised the protests will remain peaceful and within the limits of the law.

Sharif’s support from some opposition parties in parliament could help progress towards a solution as could the threat of deeper political chaos.

“The removal of an elected leader though street power will set a dangerous precedent,” warned Fazalur Rehman, a prominent right-wing lawmaker and ally of Sharif. “If they [Khan and Qadri] can bring a crowd, then every party can do the same.” The protesters insist, however, that the time for change has come. Sheikh Rashid, a lawmaker and ally of Khan, said the struggle to replace Sharif had entered the final phase.

“The coming night is crucial, and I think it will herald a new dawn and a new government in the country,” he said.—dpa