Pakistan government offers last-minute deal but fails to avert protest

A crane moves containers, to be used to block roads during a planned protest march, in Islamabad August 12, 2014. REUTERS/Faisal Mahmood

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan's civilian government failed on Tuesday to persuade opposition leader Imran Khan to ditch plans to march on the capital in protest against alleged ballot rigging in last year's general election.

Khan, a cricketer-turned-reformist politician who wants the government to resign and new elections to be held, plans to lead the mass demonstration from the eastern city of Lahore to the capital Islamabad on Thursday.