Pakistani expatriates living in the Kingdom have rallied behind their democratically elected government, led by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, asserting that ongoing protests back home are uncalled for.

Thousands of anti-government protesters, led by fiery cleric Tahirul-Qadri and cricketeer-turned-politician Imran Khan, who heads the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf Party (PTI), flooded the Pakistani capital on Saturday, vowing to stay in the streets until Sharif resigns.

Pakistani community members living here strongly object to the protests, saying it is not the time to differ on certain agendas.

Mohammad Tanveer, a Riyadh-based Pakistani social worker, said, “Political parties in Pakistan must keep political differences at bay and instead work in close cooperation to rebuild the nation by redeeming their pledge to build the Pakistan of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.”

Waleed Jameel, a Pakistani national working as a business executive in the Kingdom, expressed concern over protests paralyzing the central business district in Islamabad.

“This will only disrupt businesses and cause millions of rupees in losses, which could have been used for development works,” said Jameel.

“Neighboring India and many small countries are marching toward progress in several fields, while distractions and unrest have caused immense loss to our country in terms of development.”

“I therefore urge upon political parties to unite in the best interest of our homeland,” he said.

Anees Aslam, who works in Riyadh as a manager with a fencing group, urged his countrymen back home to stand firm and unite rather than flood the streets.

“Instead of politicizing issues, we should continue to uphold the banners of democracy and constitutionalism and peacefully march toward reaching our ultimate goal of creating a developed Pakistan,” he said.

Ongoing rallies and protests are also being widely discussed at Pakistani restaurants here, where customers tune into Pakistani news channels to stay updated.

Many of them are unhappy with this political activism, saying it is uncalled for.

Badr-e-Aalam, a customer, suggests that Imran Khan accept the defeat with grace and instead work jointly with the government for progress in various fields.

Many other Riyadh residents also concurred, advising Khan to use his energy during the next elections and work with the present government.