Pakistan 'deal reached' to end cleric Qadri's protest 17 January 2013 Last updated at 17:33 The Pakistani government has reached a deal with cleric Tahirul Qadri to end his mass protest near parliament in Islamabad, the two sides say. The details of the deal are unclear. Mr Qadri's supporters want the government to resign ahead of elections due to be held in May. Pakistan was thrown into crisis on Tuesday by the protests and a court order to arrest PM Raja Pervez Ashraf. Analysts say that Mr Ashraf is unlikely to be arrested imminently. The head of Pakistan's anti-corruption agency has refused an order by the Supreme Court to arrest Mr Ashraf for allegedly taking bribes. Fasih Bokhari of the National Accountability Bureau said investigations had not produced enough evidence to justify an arrest. Mr Ashraf denies accepting bribes when he approved power generation projects as minister for water and power in 2010. Mr Qadri signalled on Thursday that his four-day protest would end later in the day. Talks began in the afternoon when a delegation of cabinet ministers and government members entered the bullet-proof container where he has been holed up since Tuesday with thousands of his supporters gathered alongside. Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira told the AFP news agency that the talks were intended to resolve the stand-off, which has paralysed much of the centre of Islamabad. His supporters, who have braved cold and heavy rain, reportedly broke into cheers and danced in the street at news of the dialogue. Clashes briefly erupted on Tuesday but the mass protest has been largely peaceful. There has been speculation that Mr Qadri may be fishing for a role for the military and the judiciary when it comes to the appointment of a caretaker government to oversee over the forthcoming elections.