Pakistan Cleric Tells Protesters to Stay until Wednesday

A Pakistani-Canadian cleric told thousands of people Tuesday to carry on their protest in central Islamabad for a second day, after the government ignored his ultimatum to dissolve parliament immediately.

"I want to ask you to stay until tomorrow. I'm going to stay," Tahir-ul Qadri, 61, shouted while addressing the crowd after converging on the heavily fortified capital overnight.

The crowded shouted back "yes".

Qadri delivered a frenzied address to his supporters, who earlier clashed with police, blaming a corrupt government for all the country's ills and saying that the judiciary and the military were the only functioning institutions.

"I will speak to you again tomorrow. Hopefully after tomorrow there will be no need to stay any longer," he added.