No option but army role to end Pakistan crisis: minister

ISLAMABAD, Aug 29 (AFP): Pakistan's interior minister said Friday the intransigence of anti-government protest movements had left no alternative but mediation by the army to end a two-week political crisis that has shaken the nuclear-armed nation.

The country's powerful army chief General Raheel Sharif was named mediator on Thursday in the standoff between the government and protesters led by populist cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri and cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan.

The move has raised fears of increased military dominance over the civilian government in a country ruled for more than half its life by the army.

Thousands of demonstrators led by Khan and Qadri are camped outside the parliament building in Islamabad demanding the prime minister step down.

More than a week of government efforts to negotiate an end to the standoff made little headway, with Khan adamant the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif must resign.

Late on Thursday, Qadri and Khan announced General Sharif would mediate and later the army chief met them both, according to a military spokesman.  Interior Minister Chaudhry Ali Nisar Khan told parliament the protesters' unwillingness to trust anyone had left no alternative but army mediation.

"Again and again they said they only trust the army and will only have talks through the army," he said.

"When a group or two parties has no faith in the judiciary, the opposition, lawyers or civil society and has no confidence in anybody, what option remains for the government?"

A furious row blew up almost immediately, over the chain of events leading up the army stepping in.

The interior minister and PM told parliament the request for military help had come from the camps of Khan and Qadri.

Qadri, who is usually based in Canada, hotly denied this and demanded Sharif resign.