Dr. Qadri's protest received a shot in arm on Tuesday, when the Supreme Court issued an order toarrest Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf over graft charges linked to power projects just as the cleric was making a fiery speech against “corrupt and incompetent” politicians.
During his speech on Wednesday, Dr. Qadri said the government and the premier had lost their moral authority after the Supreme Court's order to arrest Mr. Ashraf and could not be allowed to continue.
Conflicting figures Despite Dr. Qadri's claims that he is being supported by “millions”, the crowd at Jinnah Avenue in the heart of Islamabad has been gradually thinning since Tuesday.