ISLAMABAD — A Pakistani cleric leading a mass anti-government rally in front of parliament has issued a 48-hour deadline for the country’s prime minister to step down or he says he’s prepared to die.
Tahir-ul-Qadri showed protesters a white burial shroud Monday in a speech issuing the deadline for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who has refused to step down.
It’s not clear what Qadri plans to do after his deadline expires, though some have feared protesters may try to enter parliament, which is protected by soldiers. That could set off a violent confrontation.
Qadri and opposition politician Imran Khan separately led tens of thousands of people from eastern city of Lahore to Islamabad, protesting against alleged vote fraud in the 2013 elections that brought Sharif to power.
