Pakistan: Opposition parties intensify protests

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan

Pakistan’s opposition parties on Thursday intensified protests against alleged election rigging as police booked several activists for raising anti-judiciary slogans, local media reported.

The eleven-party opposition alliance continued protests outside the provincial headquarters of the Election Commission in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta, calling the results of the July 25 general election "manipulated".

Police detained several activists for chanting slogans against the chief justice, Supreme Court and chief election commissioner during a sit-in in Islamabad on Wednesday, local broadcaster Geo News reported.

Center-right Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of former cricket hero and Prime Minister-designate Imran Khan emerged as the single largest party in the wake of the last month’s elections.

The results were rejected by the opposition alliance.

Several international media outlets and observers found "irregularities" in pre- and post-election process, including denying a "level playing field to all participants".

The election commission, however, rejects the allegations as “baseless”.

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan

Pakistan’s opposition parties on Thursday intensified protests against alleged election rigging as police booked several activists for raising anti-judiciary slogans, local media reported.

Center-right Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of former cricket hero and Prime Minister-designate Imran Khan emerged as the single largest party in the wake of the last month’s elections.

The results were rejected by the opposition alliance.

Several international media outlets and observers found "irregularities" in pre- and post-election process, including denying a "level playing field to all participants".

The election commission, however, rejects the allegations as “baseless”.