ISLAMABAD — Thousands of supporters of a fiery Pakistani cleric who has been calling for election reforms descended Monday onto the capital, as security officials girded for mass rallies by a movement that has virtually overnight become a powerful but still mysterious force on the political scene. The dramatic entry into Pakistani politics of Tahir-ul-Qadri, a preacher who until recently lived abroad in Canada and had only a modest local following, has galvanized supporters looking for reforms but worried detractors who fear he'll derail upcoming elections. Also Monday, thousands of Shiites finally ended a three-day long protest in the southwestern city of Quetta in which they demanded better security following an attack that killed 86 people. They had blocked a main road with dozens of the victims' coffins, and finally agreed to bury their relatives after Pakistan's leaders dismissed the government of surrounding Baluchistan province. The national government is also worried about security in Islamabad in advance of Qadri's protest. Thousands of police have been deployed in the city, and officers in riot gear are manning the main roads and streets. Authorities used shipping containers to block off the part of Islamabad where most government offices and embassies are located. About 15,000 of Qadri's supporters left Sunday in hundreds of vehicles from the eastern city of Lahore, where the headquarters of his Minhaj-ul-Quran organization are located. They were joined by more supporters along the way. Television footage showed the marchers crowded into buses and vehicles with Pakistani flags flying as they made their way toward the capital. Even before Qadri arrived in the capital, thousands rallied on the main avenue running through Islamabad that leads to the government headquarters. Members of the march set up a make-shift stage on top of one of the shipping containers that were supposed to block their way. The crowd appeared to be a mix of longtime Qadri followers and new supporters who had been inspired by his anti-government message. “He feels pain for the people while the government feels no pain for the people,” said Faizan Baig from the northern city of Abbottabad. The 23-year-old said he had come to Islamabad the night before and slept in a shrine on the outskirts of the city. Qadri's rhetoric has invigorated many Pakistanis like Baig who are angry at the current administration whose five years in office ends this spring. They say the current government has succeeded in bringing little but electricity blackouts, unemployment, terror attacks and corruption. The protest that ended Monday in Quetta was launched in the wake of a twin bombing at a billiards hall Thursday that targeted members of the minority Shiite sect. The demonstrators demanded the provincial government be dismissed and the army take over responsibility for the city. Pakistani Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said in a televised address shortly after midnight Sunday that the governor, who is appointed by the central government, would take over in Balochistan, replacing the chief minister elected by the provincial assembly. Also, paramilitary forces will receive police powers and launch an operation against militants behind the billiards hall attack. Abdul Qayum Changezi, one of the organizers of the protest, said they were ending the demonstration because most of their demands were met. The bodies were being shifted to a graveyard for burial, he said. — AP
