Pakistani protesters celebrate news of an arrest warrant for the prime minister.

Thousands in Islamabad are demanding the government's resignation at a demonstration led by a popular cleric.

The country's Supreme Court on Tuesday gave authorities 24 hours to arrest Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and 16 others in connection with a corruption case.

The latest ruling follows a court decision last year declaring government power contracts illegal.

But an accountability bureau's lack of action on that decision led to Tuesday's ruling.

The court order and the mass protest near parliament are the latest in a series of challenges for the administration spurring political uncertainty.