WASHINGTON: The United States called Monday for respect of freedom of assembly as Pakistani authorities warned they would ban protests by supporters of jailed prime minister Imran Khan after his bloc’s shock election triumph.

“We want to see the freedom of assembly respected anywhere in the world,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters when asked about Pakistani police’s use of a colonial-era law against public gatherings. However, independents cannot form a government, raising fears of prolonged political uncertainty as PTI leaders claim rigging and call for protests outside election offices.

Miller reiterated previous US calls for an investigation into fraud claims but noted that the results showed a competitive vote. “We do think that the claims of fraud need to be fully investigated. That said, it was clearly a competitive election in which people were able to exercise their choice,” he said.