Thousands Rally against Alleged Election Rigging in Pakistan

Thousands of opposition supporters held a rally in the Pakistani capital Islamabad on Sunday protesting against alleged rigging in last year's general election, amid simmering tensions between the government and army.

The demonstration was led by cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan as well as charismatic preacher Tahir ul Qadri, who held an anti-corruption march last year prior to the May 2013 election that saw the country's first democratic handover of power.

Critics have accused the protest leaders of undermining the civilian government led by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at a time when relations with the all-powerful army, which has ruled the country for half of its history, are at a low.

An estimated crowd of around 25,000 came from around the country, particularly the northwestern province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa which Khan's party governs as well as from the populous Punjab province to demonstrate in front of parliament.

Addressing the protestors, Khan lashed out at the government for its alleged role in rigging the 2013 parliamentary elections, disputing the outcome in four constituencies. He also called for the election commission to resign, and railed against power shortages and inflation.

Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Noon swept to power last year with 190 of the parliament's 342 seats, while the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) came second with 45 seats.

Khan's Pakistan Tehreek Insaaf (PTI) trailed in third with 34 seats and the four contested constituencies would not have affected the overall election result.

"We demand the election commission to immediately resign because the nation has no confidence in them," Khan said. 

"The government has accused me of attempting to derail democracy, but how can it claim of democracy with a fake mandate?" he added, to roars of approval and applause. 

Supporters meanwhile waved flags and chanted "Who will save Pakistan? Imran Khan, Imran Khan!" amid a charged atmosphere.

The protest comes at a period of high tension between the military and civilian government stoked by the treason trial of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf, the government's decision to negotiate with the Taliban and differences over how to deal with rival India.

Both Khan and Qadri meanwhile have backed the military in its push to shut down Geo News, the country's most popular news channel, after it aired allegations accusing Pakistan's main spy agency of attempting to assassinate a leading journalist.

Writing in English-daily The Express Tribune, analyst Raza Rumi said the timing of the protest was suspicious.

"In the first place, why wait a year to challenge the election results? Why form a government in a province, become part of the assemblies, and then choose the street agitation route?" he said.