Police in Islamabad have fired warning shots in the air and used tear gas against anti-corruption protesters on a march led by cleric Tahirul Qadri. The clashes erupted after demonstrators threw stones at security forces outside parliament. Mr Qadri, who is calling for electoral reform, left the city of Lahore on Sunday with thousands of supporters, and reached Islamabad late on Monday. Authorities accuse him of trying to postpone elections due by May. The Sunni cleric wants the military and judiciary to be involved in installing a caretaker government to oversee the forthcoming elections. The government is due to disband in March, and elections must then be held within six weeks. Live television coverage on Tuesday showed police firing shots into the air to push back protesters who were hurling stones at officers. Mr Qadri's spokesman told Reuters news agency the demonstrators were trying to prevent security forces from arresting the cleric. Reports of injuries have not yet been verified independently.
