ISLAMABAD - Pakistani lawmakers in an emergency parliament session backed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif even as opposition negotiators met with politician Imran Khan and cleric Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadri, whose protest movements have paralyzed Islamabad for two weeks now.

Thousands of protesters, many armed with sticks and batons, remained camped outside Parliament, demanding the resignation of Sharif and accusing him of electoral fraud, nepotism and corruption.

The clashes between protesters and security forces over three days left three dead and hundreds wounded. There were no reports of violence Tuesday.

The opposition negotiation committee led by Jamat-e-Islami (JI) chief Siraj-ul Haq met with Imran Khan and Dr. Tahir-ul Qadri on Tuesday night. The committee first met with Imran Khan. The meeting lasted only 10 minutes. The negotiators then held a meeting with Paksitan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Tahir-ul Qadri.

Speaking to journalists after the meetings, former Interior Minister Rehman Malik said the meeting had been positive. Siraj-ul Haq said they had come to negotiate with the two leaders as representatives of the people and not the government.

Haq said that the negotiations were being held to solve the political deadlock.

Already, the government has accepted many of the conditions of the opposition protesters, but added that a lot of work still needs to be done to end the deadlock.

Prime Minister Sharif, who enjoys a solid majority in parliament, convened a joint session of the assembly as he sought to reaffirm that he is fully in control in the wake of more than two weeks of protests seeking to bring down his government.

Pakistan has been in turmoil since mid-August when tens of thousands of protesters led by the former cricketer, Imran Khan, and outspoken cleric, Tahir-ul-Qadri, flooded Islamabad, refusing to leave unless Sharif resigned.

Convening the week-long parliamentary session appears to be part of Sharif's attempts to shift the conflict into the political arena.

Lawmakers from Sharif-allied parties and opposition groups criticized the protesters for resorting to "undemocratic" ways to demand change. Some suggested that elements in the military might have encouraged the anti-government campaign.

Leaders of several parties expressed support for Sharif's continuing in office, calling it critical for Pakistani democracy that he not be removed by force. Sharif listened to the proceedings with a somber expression, occasionally thumping his desk during more emotional appeals.

Meanwhile, Khan and Qadri appeared together for the first time Tuesday evening since they started their separate protest campaigns.

Khan announced that his party lawmakers would resign from Parliament in Wednesday's sitting after a senior party leader made a final speech.

Despite appearing more calm on Tuesday, the protesters showed no signs of winding up their protests. Some analysts said that the standoff was likely to stretch for days, even though resistance to the protests appeared to be solidifying.

"This crisis is likely to continue to play out over the next few days and perhaps into next week," said Arif Rafiq, a political analyst.

"The political class has united, thwarting any possible direct military intervention. But it remains to be seen how Khan will back out from his demand for the prime minister's resignation," said NYT.