PAKISTANI MPs assembled today with tens of thousands of protesters thronged outside the parliament calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif over alleged voting fraud.

Mr Sharif and other MPs entered the building through a back door connected to the heavily guarded premier’s office after the protesters had torn down barricades and entered the forbidden “red zone” housing Parliament and other key government buildings.

Meanwhile, the country’s powerful army called for a negotiated settlement.

“Situation requires patience, wisdom and sagacity from all stakeholders to resolve prevailing impasse,” army spokesman General Asim Saleem Bajwa said on Twitter.

But he warned that the government buildings in the red zone were a “symbol of state” protected by the army.

Pakistan TV showed Mr Sharif meeting MPs from all the major parties except Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, which has withdrawn from the legislature.

MPs from several parties condemned the protesters’ attempt to besiege Parliament.

“We will foil this conspiracy, and we will defend our democratic institutions,” said Maulana Fazlur Rehman, head of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party and a Sharif ally.

And Shazia Marri from the opposition Pakistan People’s Party condemned the demnstrations, saying: “We will strive for the supremacy of the constitution.”

But, outside Parliament, a celebratory atmosphere prevailed with protesters dancing to drums, singing patriotic songs and chanting against Mr Sharif. 

The demonstrators said they would not allow Mr Sharif or any other deputies to leave until the prime minister resigned.

“We deliberately gave these lawmakers a chance to enter the parliament but now we will not allow any lawmaker to come out,” said protest leader Tahir ul-Qadri.

Mr Khan had warned on Tuesday that his supporters would enter the premier’s office if Mr Sharif did not step down by the next evening, but yesterday his party appeared to back down, urging supporters not to enter government buildings and indicating it would take part in talks to resolve the crisis.

“We are ready for the talks. We will present our six demands when we hold any such talks,” said senior party official Shah Mahmood Qureshi.