ISLAMABAD, October 13 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Pakistan dismissed as "untrue" E.U. charges that the voting process in the elections was flawed, as an anti-U.S. Islamic alliance loomed large over a new hung parliament.

Accusations that authorities interfered with the electoral process were "indeed unfortunate. This is just not true," Agence France-Presse (AFP) quoted a statement released late Saturday October 12 by the Ministry of Information as saying.

A preliminary report by the 88-strong European Union observer team said Saturday the interference resulted in "serious flaws" in Pakistan's first general elections since President Pervez Musharraf seized power in a coup in 1999.

"There was no such policy or plan," the government statement said.

The head of the E.U. observer mission John Cushnahan charged that candidates had unequal access to state media, that a government ban on political rallies curbed freedoms, and called the Election Commission's impartiality into question.

The "allegation against the person of the president as having 'imposed serious restrictions on campaign activities' together with (a local official) is baseless," the government said.

Meanwhile, parties Sunday October 13, began weighing their future in the new national assembly, which saw an Islamic alliance score big, but gave no single party an absolute majority.

The hung parliament ensures that horse-trading among the various factions is about to begin, analysts said.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), founded only 18 months ago, led the other parties on 78 seats.

It was followed by banned ex-premier Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) with 63 seats.

The surprise success of the six-party Islamic alliance Muttahidda Majlils-e-Amal (MMA, or United Action Front) is what has really changed the political landscape in Pakistan.

The MMA took advantage of strong anti-U.S. sentiment, following the bombing of Afghanistan and the U.S.-led war on terror, which many here say is unfairly targeted at Muslims.

It increased its share to 45 seats, a ten-fold boost over the last general elections in 1997, when Islamic parties unable to put aside their differences took only four seats in the assembly.

"I would have love to say everything depends on parliament but unfortunately this is no longer the case," political analyst and editor of the Friday Times Najam Sethi told AFP.

"Everything depends on Musharraf. If Musharraf wants a stable government and wants the system to work he must bring back (former prime ministers) Bhutto or Nawaz Sharif."

"Otherwise he has no option. Any direct alliance of Musharraf with the MMA is bound to antagonize the West. It will be seen as an endorsement of their policies," Sethi said.

"The argument that the MMA has filled the vacuum created by Musharraf's hounding of Benazir and Sharif is now accepted in the West," he added.

Two-time prime ministers Bhutto and Sharif, facing corruption and absconding charges, were both banned from contesting in the October 10 election.

While Bhutto has called for a fresh election and said the vote count was manipulated, the parliamentary leader of the PPP said the party was keeping its options open on its role in the new parliament.