An adviser to Pakistan’s prime minister says there is “no doubt” the country’s military and supreme court are working together to bring down the country’s government.
The move came as a populist cleric, who is believed to be backed by the military, demanded the resignation of the government in protests attended by thousands of followers in the heart of the capital Islamabad.
The supreme court gave authorities 24 hours to arrest Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and 16 others.
Pakistan’s stock exchange fell by nearly 3 per cent after news of the court order, highlighting anxiety over political uncertainty.
The cleric, Muhammad Tahirul Qadri, threatened to remain camped out near the federal parliament with thousands of supporters until his demands were met.
Qadri recently returned home from Canada to lead a call for reforms that has made him an instant hit among Pakistanis disillusioned with the state.
It was not clear how much of a potent threat – a “Pakistan spring” – the two events posed for the US-backed civilian government, but the court order and the mass protest around the parliament complex are the latest in a series of challenges for the administration.
The prime minister’s adviser, Fawad Chaudhry, condemned the order, labelling it unconstitutional, the Associated Press news agency reports.
He added there was “no doubt” there were plans to topple the government via the order.
Mr Ashraf is set to lead the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) into general elections due in May
In a speech from behind a bullet-proof shield in front of parliament, Qadri praised the military and the judiciary, the country’s two other power centres.
“(The government) has wasted and brought a bad end to our armed forces, those armed forces who are highly sincere, highly competent and highly capable and highly professional,” he said.
The government and opposition are poised to start negotiating the formation of a caretaker administration to oversee the run-up to the polls as soon as parliament is dissolved, which is due to happen in March. An election date has yet to be announced.
Qadri’s platform hinges on a demand that the judiciary bars corrupt politicians from running for office and that the army plays a possible role in the formation of the caretaker government.