Pak govt rejects Imran's demand to include ISI in poll probe

The government today rejected a demand by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf chief Imran Khan to include officials from the army-controlled ISI spy agency and the military intelligence in a proposed panel to probe alleged rigging in last year's general election.
Khan has been alleging that the 2013 general election, which his party lost, was heavily rigged in favour of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's PML-N which won a landslide victory.
The cricketer-turned-politician, who has been protesting for Sharif's resignation since mid-August, last night asked the government to include the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the military intelligence (MI) in a commission headed by the Supreme Court to probe the polls.

In return, Khan said Sharif could continue to be prime minister during the probe. Earlier, he had insisted Sharif step down to enable a credible probe.
Ishaq Dar, finance minister and close confidante of Sharif, told media that under prevalent laws, the ISI and MI cannot be part of any probe commission which includes only senior judges.
Dar said the government was ready to talk to Khan to end the crisis but his demands should be within the constitution.
He accused Khan of causing a huge loss to the economy and dealing a blow to the confidence of foreign investors.

Khan has already called for a big rally in Islamabad on November 30. But yesterday he mellowed down and offered talks to the government and cooperation for setting up the probe commission.