For the first round of talks in Islamabad's Mariott Hotel in the early hours of Thursday, Mr Khan had sent a representative while he continued to picket Islamabad's Red Zone, which houses key buildings including Parliament, the prime minister's house and numerous Western embassies.

Mr Khan is addressing about 30,000 protesters who have been camped in the heart of capital city Islamabad for almost two days now. He wants Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to resign. (Impasse in Islamabad May Soon End, Talks Begin With Imran Khan's Party)

Mr Khan and Tahir-ul Qadri, a cleric who has joined his protest, the 'Azadi march', claim that last year's general election - in which Mr Sharif's PML-N (Pakistan Muslim League-N) won a landslide victory - was rigged. The election was rated as free and credible by international observers.

Mr Sharif has refused to resign. This morning, his daughter Maryam Sharif tweeted The peace and calm and smile to die for ! :) PM looks unperturbed ! pic.twitter.com/qY8voTumfE - Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) August 21, 2014



Mr Khan also wants the PM's brother and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to resign; he wants interim government installed while his rigging charges are probed; he wants electoral reforms before fresh elections; re-elections for all assemblies; he wants responsibility fixed for the alleged rigging of last year's national election and an audit of government expenses.



Mr Khan and Mr Qadri were summoned today by a three-member bench of the Supreme Court, which is investigating Mr Khan's allegation that the national elections held last year were rigged. (Pakistan's Supreme Court Summons Imran Khan and Cleric Qadri)

Last evening, a deadline set by Imran Khan for Mr Sharif's resignation passed without the former cricketer carrying out his threat of storming the Prime Minister's residence. "I thought I would take you all to the Prime Minister's house today. (But) his heart is already in bad shape. If I ask my followers to go in that direction and he has heart attack - I cannot do that," he said.

Reuters reported that Mr Khan backtracked after Pakistan's military called for a political solution to the crisis. Pakstan's army, seen as the country's most powerful institution, is guarding the Red Zone.

While Mr Khan held out earlier on Wednesday, refusing to talk to the government, Mr Sharif initiated talks with populist Mr Qadri through a cross-party delegation. After the talks, Mr Qadri asserted he would not compromise on his demands, but he added, "I have always been ready for dialogue".