Pak protests: Sharif behind '2013 electoral match fixing', says Imran Khan

Islamabad: Pakistan’s opposition leader Imran Khan today said he along with thousands of his supporters is ready for a final match against Nawaz Sharif who was involved in an “electoral match fixing”, after cleric Tahir-ul Qadri issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the embattled Prime Minister to resign. Khan, who led Pakistan to the World Cup victory in 1992, warned the PML-N government that his supporters could enter the high-security Red Zone here if Sharif, who has been in power for over an year, refuses to quit. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman said that a final match would be played today which will be decisive day in the history of Pakistan. [caption id=“attachment_1666829” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Supporters of Pakistan’s cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan march towards Islamabad. AP [/caption] “Ppl know NS (Sharif) along with ROs (Returning Officers) & caretakers were all involved in 2013 electoral match fixing. They will not accept it,” the cricketer-turned-politician tweeted. In the 2013 general elections, Sharif had won by a landslide, taking 190 out of 342 seats. Khan’s PTI got 34 seats, the third largest bloc in the legislature. But he claimed his party should have had many more seats. “Nawaz Sharif should resign as ppl have given their verdict on fraudulent elections by coming out in huge nos 4 PTI Tsunami,” he said. “With fraudulent mandate, NS has expanded family business, increased debt burden on nation & lived like an oil sheikh on taxpayer money,” he said in the tweet. “We are not a party which has looted the country, come forward to accommodate the people who have travelled from far flung areas,” Khan said. Both Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Qadri started separate rallies from Lahore on Thursday and reached in the national capital after more than 35 hours. They are camping at different venues. Khan warned that unless their demands are not met within a certain time period, his ’tsunami’ would cross into the Red Zone and protest in front of Parliament. The heavily-guarded “Red Zone” is home to Parliament, the President and Prime Minister’s residences and foreign embassies. “Don’t blame me if I failed to control these people (from entering high security area). I can control them until tomorrow (Sunday) night,” he said past midnight today. On the other hand, Qadri presented a list of 14 demands in which he demanded that the Sharif government resign and the (provincial) assemblies are dissolved “within 48 hours”. Khan is protesting against alleged rigging of last year polls while Qadri had announced to bring a revolution in the country. The political instability comes at a time when Pakistan is waging a war against militants – particularly in the restive tribal regions along its border with Afghanistan.