THOUSANDS of anti-government protesters tried to raid the official residence of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at the weekend, sparking clashes with police in which three people died and nearly 400 were injured.

Late on Saturday night, protesters headed toward the prime minister’s Islamabad residence.

When the demonstrators started removing shipping containers used as barricades, police fired salvos of tear gas that forced the crowds back.

Scores of protesters carrying hammers and iron rods also broke down a fence outside parliament late on Saturday, enabling hundreds of people to enter the lawns and parking area.

Islamabad police chief Khalid Khattak said the protesters were armed with hammers, wire-cutters, axes and even a crane.

The protesters started regrouping at daybreak yesterday and made repeated attempts to make their way through a heavy deployment of police and barricades to reach the premier’s residence.

Police responded by turning out hundreds more officers and lobbing tear gas canisters.

Nearly 400 people — including women, children and police officers — were admitted to local hospitals.

The injured had wounds from teargas shells, batons and rubber bullets, said Dr Javed Akram, who heads the main hospital in Islamabad.

One person drowned in a ditch after the group was bombarded with tear gas, while two others died from wounds caused by rubber bullets.

Demonstration leaders Imran Khan and anti-government cleric Tahir ul-Qadri had called on supporters who had been staging a sit-in for days outside the parliament building to march on the prime minister’s residence and the legislative chamber.

They had called for protesters to remain peaceful and urged security forces to refrain from using force.

But about 20,000 police in riot gear were deployed to block the procession.

Mr Khan described the police action against the crowd as illegal.

“Now we will show this government. We will call for countrywide agitation and jam the whole of Pakistan,” he said.

Mr Qadri agreed, vowing that “If they think their brutality will force us back, they are wrong.”

Protests demanding the Prime Minister’s resignation were also held in Lahore, Karachi and other cities.