Imran nominates grandson of Ayub Khan as PM candidate

ISLAMABAD, Feb 15 (Reuters): A key aide of former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan said on Thursday that the jailed leader had nominated Omar Ayub Khan as a candidate in a parliamentary vote to elect a new premier following last week's national elections.

Omar Ayub is the grandson of Pakistan's first military dictator Ayub Khan who ruled Pakistan from 1958 to 1969.

The party also announced countrywide protests against what it called widespread rigging against it in the polls. The election commission has denied such accusations and said legal forums would address any specific concerns.

The polls did not return a clear majority for anyone, but independent candidates backed by Khan won 92 out of 264 seats making them the largest group. Khan ruled out alliances with the three largest parties, which means his candidate currently lacks the numbers to form government.

"Omar Ayub will be our candidate for the prime minister election, he has been nominated by Imran Khan" Asad Qaiser, a senior leader of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party told journalists after meeting the former premier in prison.