MULTAN: At least eight people were killed and 40 others wounded in a stampede following a political rally by opposition politician Imran Khan in central Pakistan on Friday, officials said.

The deaths occurred in Multan city after the cricketer-turned-politician addressed a crowd to press his demand for the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who he accuses of vote rigging in last year’s elections.

Multan police chief Sultan Chaudhry said the stampede occurred when people were leaving the stadium after the rally.

Khan, along with populist cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri, has been staging a sit-in in the capital Islamabad since Aug. 15. Protest rallies have also been held in other Pakistani cities.

Khan and Qadri claim the 2013 elections were massively rigged, but local and foreign observers say the polls were credible.