By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday bowed to opposition party demands to form a parliamentary commission to probe allegations of vote-rigging in the July 25 general elections, local media reported.

According to local broadcaster Geo News, PTI spokesman Fawad Chudhery announced that the party is ready to form a commission to investigate the allegations.

Former cricket star Imran Khan’s PTI emerged as the single largest party in the elections, securing 116 National Assembly seats out of 270.

Earlier on Thursday, former Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, head of the Pakistan Muslim League, the second-largest party in parliament, said that opposition parties want to form a parliamentary commission to probe the allegations.

An alliance of around 10 major and small opposition parties have already rejected the election results, calling them rigged and manipulated, and vowed to continue their protests across the country.

Separately, President Mamnoon Husain has summoned the newly elected National Assembly’s first session on Aug. 13.

According to local media, on the first day the newly elected members of parliament will be sworn in, followed by the elections of the speaker, deputy speaker, and prime minister.

Khan and Sharif have already been nominated by their parties for the premiership.