ISLAMABAD: In the space of three weeks, a simple demonstration in the Pakistan capital Islamabad has become a national crisis.
At least seven people died when police and paramilitaries tried to clear protests on Saturday and the civilian government has called for the military to intervene to restore order.
Here are some questions and answers about the situation:
- Who are the protesters? -
On November 6 roughly 2,000 members of the Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah Pakistan began a sit-in in Islamabad.
They are a little known hardline group led by a firebrand cleric named Khadim Hussain Rizvi, who has been widely mocked for heaping abusee on opponents.
TLY comes from the Barelvi sect of Islam that has strong ties to Sufism, a mystical branch of the religion that is seen as moderate. It emphasises personal devotion by its followers to the Prophet Mohammed.
However the execution in 2016 of Barelvi follower Mumtaz Qadri -- who assassinated liberal Punjab governor Salman Taseer over his stance on the country's blasphemy laws -- appears to have galvanised this group.
They been "militarised, which is very dangerous. It's more dangerous than anti-Americanism," analyst Khurshid Ahmad Nadeem told AFP.
- What do they want? -
TLY launched its sit-in after the government amended the oath which election candidates must swear. The change was small, described as a mistake and quickly reversed.
But the demonstrators have linked the issue to blasphemy, a hugely sensitive charge that has often fuelled deadly violence in conservative Muslim Pakistan.
They are demanding the law minister, Zahid Hamid, resign over the amendment. As the protests spread on Saturday TLY clerics began calling for Pakistanis to come to defend the Prophet's honour.
According to their Facebook page, they seek sharia law in Pakistan and will run in more elections, having already taken part in a by-election in Lahore in September.
- How did the violence begin? -
The sit-in became increasingly frustrating for commuters trapped for hours daily by the road blockade.
As the judiciary blasted officials for their inertia, and at least one child died after being unable to reach hospital, conspiracy theories swirled over who was supporting the protesters.
On Saturday, nearly three weeks after the protests began, some 8,500 armed security personnel finally confronted the Islamists.
They were met with stubborn resistance, with police and protesters hurling rocks. Demonstrators blocked more roads and set vehicles alight, while calling for reinforcements.
The demonstrations spread to Pakistan's two biggest cities, Karachi and Lahore, as well as smaller towns countrywide before officials were ordered to suspend the operation and the government sought help from the army.
- Why is the government doing nothing? -
When the sit-in began authorities insisted on peacefully negotiating with the protesters, as politicians eye elections in 2018.
Pakistan's civilian government has long pulled its punches in such situations, fearing that a crackdown on the religious group would incite blowback -- as it has in the past. Critics have warned this allows extremism to flourish.
Analyst Michael Kugelman of the Wilson Center in Washington said the success of the protest was "highly disturbing".
"It speaks to the clout and impunity enjoyed by religious hardliners in Pakistan," he said.
- How will the army respond? -
The military has not yet publicly answered the government's call.
The generals may be hoping that the protestors will voluntarily disperse rather than face down the powerful military, Kugelman said.
"This is after all a military that commands a tremendous amount of respect from so many different walks of life in Pakistan, including religious hardliners," he added.
Any military intervention is a fraught issue in Pakistan, which has seen multiple coups and been ruled by the generals for roughly half its 70-year history, although analysts do not believe the army is seeking power once more.