Pakistan's Imran Khan in coalition talks to form government

Former cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan is in talks with other parties and independent MPs to form a coalition government, after a triumphant campaign in Pakistan's general election.

Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI) won 116 seats in Wednesday's election, with rival parties calling the vote rigged.

Despite leading the election, he was still short of the 137 needed for a simple majority but PTI's win still shocked many in Pakistan's political establishment.

The the outgoing Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party was in distant second place with 64 seats.

Khan's party has begun reaching out to potential coalition partners to form a government, according to spokesman Fawad Chaudhry, a task that analysts said should be straightforward.

"We have contacted small parties and independent members, they will soon meet party leaders in Islamabad," Chaudhry said late Friday.

A PTI representative said a coalition government should be formed before Pakistan's independence day celebrations on 14 August. 

"We expect that Imran Khan will take the oath as a prime minister before August 14," PTI representative Naeem ul Haq told reporters Saturday. 

Rival parties have vowed to form a protest "movement", due to allegations of vote rigging and military interference in the polls.

More than a dozen parties calling themselves the All Parties Conference (APC) promised to protest over the results.

The group is split on whether MPs will take their seats at the National Assembly with some calling for a new vote.

The PML-N announced its support for the group but stopped short of saying it would boycott the new parliament.

And the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), which was notably absent from the APC, said in a separate announcement that it rejected the results.