ISLAMABAD, Aug 31 � The top brass of the powerful Pakistani army chaired by its chief General Raheel Sharif held an urgent meeting tonight to discuss the political crisis that has engulfed the country after night-long clashes here between security forces and anti-government demonstrators left three people dead and nearly 500 others injured, reports PTI.
The army corps commanders met in Rawalpindi to take stock of the situation created by the 18-day siege of the heart of the Pakistani establishment, housing the Presidency, the National Assembly, the Supreme Court and the Prime Minister�s Office, took a turn for the worst since yesterday.
Embattled Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, whose ouster is the main demand of the protesters, decided to summon a joint sitting of the parliament on Tuesday to discuss the political crisis which erupted into widespread violence in the capital last night after supporters of opposition leader Imran Khan and cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri sought to storm Sharif�s residence nearby by breaking through the police barricade.
Cricketer-turned-politician Khan vowed to fight till the last breath and asked Pakistanis to revolt against the �illegal� regime, while Qadri alleged seven of his supporters were killed by security forces, which could not be confirmed.
A security official said that the meeting called by General Sharif was initially planned for tomorrow but it was rescheduled due to �deteriorating internal security situation�.
