Pak army will play neutral umpire's role in Pak election rigging investigation, says Imran

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan said that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif assured him the army would play the role of a "neutral umpire" in the investigation into the allegations of election rigging.

Addressing his supporters early on Friday, Imran said that General Raheel Sharif had assured him that a judicial commission would be set up to look into the allegations of election rigging, the Dawn said.

The development came following a meeting between the general and the PTI chief after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced the appointment of the COAS to take up the role of the 'mediator' and 'guarantor' in order to bring an end to the political dead lock plaguing the country.

The PTI chief said that he told COAS that there could be no independent investigation into the matter without the Prime Minister's resignation.

Imran said he told the army chief that he could compromise that Nawaz remains party leader and his ministers remain on their seats provided the Prime Minister agreed to step down for 30 days for an independent investigation to take place

He asserted that if the government did not accept his demand for resignation by tomorrow afternoon, the party would announce its further course of action on how it would expand its protest.