Pakistan elections: Ex-Premier Khan's party leaders meet with president amid poll rigging allegations

 -Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has won majority seats 'despite the suppression of the party, confiscation of the election symbol and arrests,' spokesman Hassan informs President Arif Alvi 

- Official statement contains no remarks from Alvi, who was Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf member before being appointed president 

- Several candidates' victories have already been challenged in courts, which have withheld results from certain constituencies 

KARACHI, Pakistan

Amid growing protests against alleged rigging in the Feb. 8 elections, a delegation of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan met with President Arif Alvi at his office in Islamabad to apprise him of reported irregularities in the process of electing members for the lower house as well as four provincial assemblies.  

The delegation, led by party spokesman Rauf Hassan, contended that the PTI won a large number of seats "despite the suppression of the party, confiscation of the election symbol and arrests," said a statement from the President's Office.

"It was highlighted that despite the excesses, the people of Pakistan had expressed confidence in the party's candidates in the general elections," the statement added.

The statement contained no remarks from Alvi, who was a member of the PTI before being appointed president, a ceremonial position in which he is bound to follow the advice of the prime minister and Cabinet.

Protests and rigging allegations have marred the crucial polls, with several political parties, primarily the PTI, challenging the results in different courts and before the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Meanwhile, Protests against alleged rigging continued on Monday in different parts of the country, with several roads blocked and shutters down.

Major protests were held across southwestern Balochistan province, where supporters of different losing candidates staged sit-ins, blocking roads and disrupting traffic.

Several candidates' victories have already been challenged before the ECP and courts across the country, which have withheld results from certain constituencies.

In response to allegations of vote-rigging, at least three newly-elected lawmakers, including Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman, the Karachi chief of the mainstream religiopolitical party Jamaat-e-Islami, have announced that they will give up their seats.

The caretaker Prime minister, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, and the ECP have rejected the allegations, insisting the polls were "free and fair."  

​​​​​​​Government formation 

The president is bound to summon a National Assembly session to elect the speaker, deputy speaker, and the leader of the house by Feb. 29.

According to the constitution, the president must convene the National Assembly three weeks after the national election. It could be called earlier if a political party secures two-thirds of the seats in the National Assembly or if political parties reach an agreement to form a coalition government.

Around 60 million, or approximately 47%, of nearly 129 million voters cast ballots on Thursday.

Independents backed by the PTI won 101 seats, followed by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with 75 and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's Pakistan People's Party managed to grab 54.

The rest of the seats were won by other parties, including Muttahida Quami Movement Pakistan, which got 17.