An anti-government protest that brought Islamabad to a standstill for four days ended late Thursday after the cleric that led it signed a deal with the government.
"I want to congratulate everyone ... Today is a day of victory for the Pakistani nation," cleric Tahir ul Qadri said, as he read from the Islamabad Long March Declaration, which he negotiated with a 10-member government delegation.
He had given the government an ultimatum to negotiate or "lose the last chance for peace".
A delegation led by former prime minister and coalition party leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain negotiated with Qadri for more than four hours.
Qadri has been protesting with thousands of people in front of parliament, asking for election reforms, an apolitical caretaker government and the dissolution of parliament.
According to the declaration, the national assembly is to be dissolved "at any time before March 16 so that the elections may take place within 90 days."
The Pakistan People's Party-led government ends its five-year tenure on March 16. According to the constitution, the election is to be held within 60 days.
The agreement also included scrutiny of candidates, and the proposal for two impartial candidates for the role of caretaker prime minister.
One of the delegation members, Law Minister Farooq Naik, said the agreement was "a victory of the government's policy of reconciliation. I believe democracy has got a boost today."