The Pakistani Supreme Court has ordered the arrest of Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf in connection with a corruption case, officials say.
The court ordered the arrest of PM Ashraf on Tuesday morning, in relation to a case relating to contracts for the purchase of rental power plants by the federal government when Ashraf was the federal minister for water and power.
Fawad Chaudhry, an adviser to the PM, condemned the court's order, calling it "unconstitutional".
The Supreme Court ordered the arrest of 16 people, including the prime minister, and directed authorities to present Ashraf in court on Wednesday, local media reported.
"[Raja Pervez Ashraf] was the power and electricity minister and during that time he is said to have embezzled millions of dollars, the case was pending at the Supreme Court and the court therefore decided that the PM should be arrested immediately," reported Al Jazeera's Kamal Hyder in Islamabad.
"There were serious accusations that the PM was directly involved as minister in siphoning off millions of dollars."
The move has come as Tahir-ul-Qadri, a populist cleric, demanded the resignation of the government in protests attended by thousands of followers in the heart of the capital Islamabad. His supporters welcomed the news, celebrating at their sit-in protest outside the parliament in Islamabad.
Pakistan's benchmark Karachi Stock Exchange index fell by nearly three percent after news of the court order, highlighting investor anxiety over political uncertainty.
Yousuf Raza Gilani, the country's last prime minister, was dismissed by the Supreme Court in April last year after being found guilty of committing contempt of court by refusing to send a letter to Swiss authorities related to corruption investigations against President Asif Ali Zardari.
Pakistan top court orders PM arrest - Central & South Asia - Al Jazeera English