Anti-government protesters march on; shots fired at Imran Khan

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: Clashes erupted today between ruling PML-N activists and supporters of opposition leader Imran Khan after shots were fired at his vehicle, as tens of thousands of protesters marched towards the capital with an aim of ousting Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Two opposition groups, led by cricketer-turned-politician Khan and Canada-based cleric Tahirul Qadri, plan to converge on Islamabad to press Sharif to call an early election little over a year after his landslide victory in the polls.

"The PML-N workers opened fire on my container (vehicle). If I was hit who could stop my party workers from reacting," said Khan, the chief of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

He urged his party workers to remain peaceful, saying if the martial law was imposed in the wake of the government's actions his party would be blamed.

"The government is blaming us for the Gujranwala incident. It will also blame us in case martial law is imposed on such acts of the government," said Khan, who boarded a bullet-proof car after gun shots were reportedly fired at his vehicle in Gujranwala.

Khan also presented video footage of PML-N workers attacking his vehicle. The footage showed PML-N workers pelting stones and shoes on his vehicle with those on board seen ducking.

PTI spokesperson Shireen Mazari said at least eight party workers were injured in clashes in Gujranwala.

Three of them have been seriously injured and shifted to a hospital. They have suffered head injuries, she said.

Mazari alleged that Federal Commerce Minister Khurram Dastgir's men were involved in the incident. Gujranwala district is Dastgir's constituency.

"Police present there did not act to stop the PML-N activists," she alleged, adding that "we cannot give guarantee of our party workers remaining peaceful if they are attacked en route to Islamabad."

In another significant development, the Pakistan Supreme Court today issued an order against any unconstitutional step to remove the civilian government as anti-Sharif protests threatened political instability and possible military intervention in the coup-prone country.

The anti-government protesters of both the groups plan to stage a sit-in in Islamabad to press their claims, at the end of a "long march" -- which set off on a 370-km journey to the country's capital yesterday.

Khan initiated his 'Azadi March' from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore, while Qadri launched his 'Inqelab March' (revolution march) from the Model Town area of the city.

Khan has already underlined his demands, saying Sharif should resign and a caretaker government should be formed for holding a fresh general election in the country.