Pak Oppn parties stage demo against rigging

ISLAMABAD: Leaders and members of the newly formed 11-party grand opposition alliance on Wednesday staged demonstration against the alleged rigging in the July 25 general elections, in which cricketer-turnedpolitician Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-insaaf emerged as the single largest party in Parliament.

Political parties, except the Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-i-insaaf (PTI), have been complaining of rigging and even demanded the resignation of the chief election commissioner.

They had also categorically rejected the poll results. The PTI won 116 National Assmebly seats.

The demand also gathered steam when five empty ballot boxes and over a dozen papers were found by the roadside in Karachi and Sialkot.

Leaders and members of newly formed 11-party grand opposition alliance, named 'Pakistan Alliance for Free and Fair Elections', gathered in front of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and shouted slogans against the alleged rigging in the elections.

The 'Pakistan Alliance for Free and Fair Elections' was formed last week at a multiparty conference here. The Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP), the Pakistan Muslim Leaguenawaz (PML-N), the Awami National Party (ANP), the Qaumi Watan Party (QWP), the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP), the National Party (NP), the Muttahida Majlis-i-amal (MMA) and other smaller parties are part of the alliance.

Former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and PPP leaders were also among the protesting leaders, along with hundreds of party workers.