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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Pakistani protests turn violent | Pakistani protests turn violent |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Thousands of supporters of Pakistan's ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif have protested after the courts banned him and his brother from elected office. | Thousands of supporters of Pakistan's ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif have protested after the courts banned him and his brother from elected office. |
| Streets were blocked off in main cities and businesses and vehicles set alight. | Streets were blocked off in main cities and businesses and vehicles set alight. |
| Sharif supporters and police clashed near Rawalpindi, with unconfirmed reports of injuries. | Sharif supporters and police clashed near Rawalpindi, with unconfirmed reports of injuries. |
| Mr Sharif accuses President Zardari of influencing the court decision in order to remove him from politics, raising fears of renewed political turmoil. | Mr Sharif accuses President Zardari of influencing the court decision in order to remove him from politics, raising fears of renewed political turmoil. |
| The protests are against Wednesday's Supreme Court ruling upholding a ban on Mr Sharif and his brother, Shahbaz, from elected office. | The protests are against Wednesday's Supreme Court ruling upholding a ban on Mr Sharif and his brother, Shahbaz, from elected office. |
| Mr Sharif's PML-N holds power in Punjab province, where his brother was chief minister but has now been ordered to step down. | Mr Sharif's PML-N holds power in Punjab province, where his brother was chief minister but has now been ordered to step down. |
| Correspondents say the court order is expected to deepen the rift between the Sharifs and the federal government led by the Pakistan People's Party (PPP). | Correspondents say the court order is expected to deepen the rift between the Sharifs and the federal government led by the Pakistan People's Party (PPP). |
| Clashes | Clashes |
| Incidents of violence were reported from all over Punjab province, the Sharif's main power base. There were smaller anti-government protests in the capital, Islamabad. | Incidents of violence were reported from all over Punjab province, the Sharif's main power base. There were smaller anti-government protests in the capital, Islamabad. |
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| Protesters burn tyres on the streets | |
| Thousands of protesters, waving the green flags of Mr Sharif's PML-N party, burned tyres in the many demonstrations - black smoke billowed into the air. | Thousands of protesters, waving the green flags of Mr Sharif's PML-N party, burned tyres in the many demonstrations - black smoke billowed into the air. |
| The most serious clashes took place on the outskirts of the garrison city of Rawalpindi. | The most serious clashes took place on the outskirts of the garrison city of Rawalpindi. |
| Protesters attacked banks and shops, set vehicles alight and blocked roads. Two of the vehicles set on fire were police vans. | Protesters attacked banks and shops, set vehicles alight and blocked roads. Two of the vehicles set on fire were police vans. |
| Police baton charged the demonstrators and lobbed tear gas shells. Crowds pelted security forces with stones. | Police baton charged the demonstrators and lobbed tear gas shells. Crowds pelted security forces with stones. |
| Earlier, Mr Sharif addressed a rally in the town of Shekhupura in central Punjab. | Earlier, Mr Sharif addressed a rally in the town of Shekhupura in central Punjab. |
| Mr Sharif has accused President Zardari of being behind the ban | Mr Sharif has accused President Zardari of being behind the ban |
| "Don't break the law, wreck public property or take the law into your own hands," he told his supporters. | "Don't break the law, wreck public property or take the law into your own hands," he told his supporters. |
| Mr Sharif said the main cause of Pakistan's current problems emanated from former president Gen Pervez Musharraf's eight years in power. | Mr Sharif said the main cause of Pakistan's current problems emanated from former president Gen Pervez Musharraf's eight years in power. |
| Gen Musharraf overthrew Mr Sharif's government in a 1999 military coup, but his supporters were trounced in elections last year and he stood down. | Gen Musharraf overthrew Mr Sharif's government in a 1999 military coup, but his supporters were trounced in elections last year and he stood down. |
| Mr Sharif criticised judges appointed by President Musharraf and said he had been "let down" by Mr Zardari, who he forged an alliance with to win the elections. | Mr Sharif criticised judges appointed by President Musharraf and said he had been "let down" by Mr Zardari, who he forged an alliance with to win the elections. |
| "I put all my trust in him, but he broke my trust," he said. | "I put all my trust in him, but he broke my trust," he said. |
| Mr Sharif said as far as he was concerned, his brother Shahbaz Sharif was still the chief minister of Punjab. | Mr Sharif said as far as he was concerned, his brother Shahbaz Sharif was still the chief minister of Punjab. |
| President Zardari has dismissed the Punjab government and given control to the governor who is one of his loyalists. | President Zardari has dismissed the Punjab government and given control to the governor who is one of his loyalists. |
| Earlier, Mr Zardari's prime minister, Yusuf Raza Gillani, caused surprise when he said he had been shocked to learn of the Supreme Court's decision. | Earlier, Mr Zardari's prime minister, Yusuf Raza Gillani, caused surprise when he said he had been shocked to learn of the Supreme Court's decision. |
| He said the attorney-general had not taken him into his confidence. | He said the attorney-general had not taken him into his confidence. |
| Power struggle | Power struggle |
| The Supreme Court ban on the Sharif bothers standing for public office came on Wednesday. | The Supreme Court ban on the Sharif bothers standing for public office came on Wednesday. |
| It upheld a high court ruling that Mr Sharif was ineligible to stand for parliament because he had been convicted in connection with the 1999 hijacking of a plane carrying Gen Musharraf before his coup. | It upheld a high court ruling that Mr Sharif was ineligible to stand for parliament because he had been convicted in connection with the 1999 hijacking of a plane carrying Gen Musharraf before his coup. |
| The BBC's Barbara Plett in Islamabad says a power struggle is shaping up between Mr Sharif and Mr Zardari - and weeks, if not months, of demonstrations and political turmoil loom. | The BBC's Barbara Plett in Islamabad says a power struggle is shaping up between Mr Sharif and Mr Zardari - and weeks, if not months, of demonstrations and political turmoil loom. |
| Observers say the main beneficiary of such tensions may be Pakistan's powerful military, which has a long history of clandestine political involvement and destabilising civilian governments. | Observers say the main beneficiary of such tensions may be Pakistan's powerful military, which has a long history of clandestine political involvement and destabilising civilian governments. |