Arrest Warrants Issued For Pakistani Protest Leaders

A Pakistani court has issued arrest warrants for two prominent protest leaders -- cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan and cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri.

Islamabad's Special Anti-Terrorism Court issued the orders for Khan, Qadri and 26 other people on November 12 over violence during antigovernment protests.

Khan and Qadri led weeks of protests against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif that descended into several days of violence in August.

Demonstrators clashed with police, attempted to storm parliament, and took over state broadcaster Pakistan Television.

Qadri called off his protest last month and has left for Canada, where he is normally based, while Khan continues to address supporters outside parliament.

Khan has announced a protest rally in Islamabad on November 30.

His Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party dismissed the warrants as an act of desperation by the government.

With reporting by AFP