ISLAMABAD: Following his late-night meeting with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan said the army chief had assured him that a judicial commission would be formed to investigate election rigging allegations.

Addressing his supporters early on Friday, Imran stated that General Sharif promised the army would play the role of a "neutral umpire" in the investigation.

Imran's meeting and consequent speech followed after it was announced that the COAS was appointed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to act as 'mediator' and 'guarantor' for bringing the current crisis between the government and protesters to an end.

The PTI chairman said that he told COAS that without Nawaz's resignation there could be no independent investigation.

Imran said he had expressed his concerns to the army chief and told him “we can compromise that he (Nawaz) remain party leader and his ministers remain on their seats but he should step down for 30 days for an independent investigation to take place.”

The PTI chairman further said “If the government accepts our demand for resignation by tomorrow afternoon, we will celebrate here otherwise we will announce our further course of action of how to expand our protests tomorrow”.

Earlier on Thursday night Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri and PTI Chairman Imran Khan had announced they had given the prime minister 24 hours leeway upon General Sharif’s assurances.