Supporters of Pakistani Sunni Muslim cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri sit early today in protest at an anti-government rally in Islamabad.
The interior minister warned that the government could take “targeted action" if the demonstrators did not leave the city by today, but later backed off the threat after he was contradicted by the president.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, several thousand protesters shouting anti-military slogans displayed the bodies of 15 local villagers in northwestern Pakistan, claiming they were shot dead in their homes by security forces in an overnight raid.
An official with the Frontier Constabulary, which operates in the area, blamed militants for killing the villagers. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
— The Associated Press
