Omar Ayub Khan is the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s nominated candidate for the prime minister, party leader Asad Qaiser said on Thursday.

He disclosed the name to reporters outside the Adiala Jail after meeting party founder Imran Khan who gave the final decision.

The announcement comes days after Khan nominated Ali Amin Gandapur for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister, amid concerns from some party members.

Ayub, who served as the minister for power in the PTI-led government, won the NA-18 seat in Haripur. He is the secretary general of the party.

“We hope there will be our prime minister in the National Assembly,” Qaiser said and added that the world did not accept the general elections.

The announcement means that the former ruling party would return to Parliament where a political party needs 134 seats for a simple majority.

Independent candidates backed by PTI secured more than 90 National Assembly seats, according to the provisional results by the Election Commission of Pakistan. The PML-N has emerged as the single largest political party in the elections.

In response to queries, Qaiser said that Khan would give a protest date by Thursday evening.

The party has softened its tone as Qaiser shared that the party wanted to sit with all parties decide next plan of action.

“We will contact parties protesting against rigging in elections,” he said and described polls as the country’s “worst elections”.

Khan has ordered his party leaders to reach out to parties except the Pakistan Democratic Movement tormentors – PML-N, PPP, and MQM-P.

“We will talk to JUI, JI, ANP, and all nationalist parties in Balochistan, Punjab, and Sindh,” Qaiser said.

The former National Assembly speaker went on to add that the party would summon the parliamentary party meeting in the next two days.

Barrister Saif stated that the party has nominated Saqibullah, the brother of Asad Qaiser, for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly speaker.

Saif while quoting Khan alleged that the US has always supported dictators and corrupt people. “The US should keep an eye on rigging and raise its voice,” he said.

He was speaking in reaction to the US government’s concerns over the elections in Pakistan. The Biden administration has called for investigations into claims of fraud and interference in elections.

“We think that such a cosmetic statement is not enough,” Saif said and added that those involved in rigging should be further pressurised.