Protesters are staging a sit-in and sleep-in within Pakistan, saying they won’t budge from Islamabad until Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif resigns.

Four days of demonstrations have hit trade and traffic and are set to culminate in a march on the heavily-fortified area of the capital, called by cricketer turned opposition leader Imran Khan.

The high-stakes showdown could lead to confrontation with security forces.

Khan’s party says it is resigning its seats from parliament to try to force the government to hold new elections.

He accuses Sharif of rigging last year’s election that he won by a landslide. A parallel protest campaign is being led by cleric Tahir ul-Qadri.

Both men have pledged to stay on the streets alongside protesters until their demands are met.