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THOUSANDS of riot police sealed off Pakistan’s capital Islamabad with barbed wire and shipping containers today on the eve of the country’s Independence Day.
Two groups, one led by Imran Khan and the other by cleric Tahir ul-Qadri, will converge on Islamabad to try to force embattled Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to call an early election.
Police said yesterday that they had detained some 2,100 followers of the two opposition figures in the past few days in a bid to foil mass protests.
Meanwhile, police in riot gear were taking up positions across the city and the authorities suspended mobile phone service.
Queues formed outside petrol stations, with drivers worried the government may cut off fuel shipments to slow demonstrators.
Today’s protests will represent the strongest challenge yet to the government of Mr Sharif, just a year after he took office.
Mr Qadri commands a following of thousands through a network of mosques and religious schools.
His followers have already clashed with police last weekend.
And former cricket legend Imran Khan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf party is the third-largest political bloc in parliament.
Mr Khan alleges last year’s vote is invalid due to widespread rigging.
“A sea of people are coming to Islamabad and they are peaceful and you cannot stop them,” he said on Tuesday.
Mr Sharif, however, is taking no chances.
The government has invoked a rarely used article in the constitution allowing the military to step in to maintain law and order if needed.
