Shehbaz Sharif has brushed off the allegations of poll rigging, highlighting that in several areas PML-N stalwarts lost and independents won.

“In KP, the majority is of independent candidates […] does it mean they won through rigging. And in Sindh and Balochistan, there was no sign of independents,” he said at a press conference.

“On behalf of my party, independents are free, if they want to make a government, go ahead. We will sit in the opposition and fulfil our role,” he said.

Shehbaz added that all the political parties in the Parliament were engaged, adding that he had a conversation with Sardar Khalid Magsi of Balochistan. “The country needs to move forward […] there are numerous challenges and time is less,” he pointed out.

“Now our fight is against inflation, poverty, terrorism and unemployment.”