Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Khursheed Shah said, on Monday, that the government’s writ had ceased to exist.

Speaking to media in Sukkur, the opposition leader said the capital had been held captive by a religious group for the past two weeks, challenging the government’s writ.

On November 19, the government convened a grand meeting of leading clerics in an effort to find a peaceful solution to the protracted sit-in that has paralysed the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

The interior ministry has so far not taken any administrative decision against the far-right leaders spearheading the protest, fearing any heavy-handed response might result in bloodshed.

However, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had, on November 17, ordered the district administration to take all necessary steps to clear the area latest by the morning of November 18.

Meanwhile, Shah rejected Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan’s call for early elections, reiterating that the government should complete its constitutional period. He said Imran was supportive of a referendum but that demanding early elections was unnecessary. He added, however, that it was their [PTI] right to demand anything.

Upon calls for Finance Minister Ishaq Dar to step down, Shah said he should resign on principle. Last week, an accountability court released its three-page detailed order, issuing Dar’s non-bailable arrest warrants simultaneously rejecting his plea seeking exemption from personal appearance on medical grounds over a pending corruption reference. The court has been hearing a corruption reference against him for accumulating wealth beyond known sources of income. Dar has skipped the last three hearings of the case which was filed in view of the Supreme Court’s July 28 verdict in Panamagate case.