Antigovernment protesters on Monday briefly occupied the headquarters of the country's state television, causing its broadcast to go blank, in a further escalation of the political crisis that is threatening to bring down the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Photo: Getty Images
ISLAMABAD—Fresh clashes between antigovernment protesters and police broke out in the Pakistani capital's government quarter on Monday, a day after the military warned the administration of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif against "further use of force" to quell the spreading unrest.
Pakistan's military also deployed armed soldiers around government buildings, checking the protesters' advance on the prime minister's house as darkness fell in Islamabad.
The police, which had been at the forefront of resisting the protesters over the weekend, retreated to the edge of the government quarter.
The renewed violence, which threatens to bring down Mr. Sharif's government, came as the military denied Monday that it had asked the prime minister to quit. Some Pakistani media had reported that army chief Gen. Raheel Sharif had advised Mr. Sharif to step down at a recent meeting.
"News of Army Chief asking PM to resign or going on leave is baseless," the military's spokesman said in response on Twitter. The prime minister's office also denied that any such message was conveyed.
"The military would never directly tell the prime minister to resign," said a security adviser familiar with the military's thinking. "That would allow him to become a political martyr."
Aides said the prime minister was determined to resist pressure to resign. The government privately believes that the protesters are supported by the military, in a bid to weaken or oust the prime minister.
Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan and Muslim cleric Tahir ul Qadri led thousands of protesters in a march to Islamabad on August 15 for a sit-in in front of Pakistan's parliament, demanding Mr. Sharif's resignation and alleging that the ruling party rigged last year's elections. Mr. Sharif denied fraud allegations and most court challenges to the election's results had been unsuccessful.
Mr. Khan is pressing for fresh elections, while Mr. Qadri is calling for "revolution." As a softer alternative, Mr. Khan has suggested that the prime minister leave his office on a "holiday" for a month, while a promised judicial investigation into the election-rigging allegations takes place.
Over the weekend, three protesters died and more than 500 were injured in clashes with police using tear gas, rubber bullets and baton charges, as the demonstrators had attempted to march on the prime minister's house.
Earlier Monday, antigovernment protesters briefly occupied the headquarters of the country's state television, where they smashed up equipment, causing its broadcast to go blank for almost an hour. Armed soldiers and paramilitary Rangers forces arrived at the scene by noon local time, prompting the protesters leave the building. The soldiers surrounded the compound.
Protesters also made further attempts Monday to move towards the prime minister's official residence, gaining some ground and leading to fresh casualties among both police and protesters, with hospitals reporting that at least one demonstrator was brought in with rubber-bullet injuries.
Parliament, the prime minister's house and office, the presidency, the Supreme Court, and ministries are all located together in Islamabad's government quarter. The police forces that were previously deployed around these buildings were replaced Monday with soldiers. Many embassies, including the U.S. Embassy, are located in the area.
Mr. Sharif came to power after a landslide victory in the May 2013 elections. His previous stint in power was ended by a 1999 military coup and he has been at loggerheads with the country's powerful military establishment over a series of issues, including the treason trial of former dictator Pervez Musharraf and attempts to improve relations with India.
Talat Hussain, a leading political talk-show host, said that the military's aim was to "dilute" Nawaz Sharif, either by weakening or ousting him. But Mr. Sharif has refused to be shunted out of office, meaning that the military would have to stage an outright takeover to remove him, he said.
"Nawaz Sharif is saying you'll have to drag me out, and with me will go the parliament and the constitution," he said.
The armed forces have directly ruled Pakistan for half its 67-year history. Democracy was restored in 2008, after the latest period of military rule. It is widely thought that the military, which is battling Taliban and Al Qaeda jihadists in the northwest, does not want to directly assume power at this time. A coup would imperil U.S. aid that Washington pegs at some $3 billion a year, U.S. officials say.
There is speculation that an army-backed civilian government could be brought in instead, but there it is unclear how this would be compatible with the constitution.
The army chief met his top commanders late Sunday. Afterwards, the military advised the government to go back into talks with protest leaders.
"While reaffirming support to democracy, the conference reviewed with serious concern the existing political crisis and the violent turn it has taken, resulting in large-scale injuries and loss of lives," a statement from the military said. "It was once again reiterated that the situation should be resolved politically without wasting any time and without recourse to violent means."