Mush conspiring to keep me out of NA: Nawaz

Lahore, May 27: Based on a recorded telephonic conversation purportedly involving senior PML-N leader and former Punjab CM Pervez Elahi, former Pakistan premier Nawaz Sharif has alleged that taking the help of the judges he appointed through the Nov 3 PCO (provincial constitutional order), President Pervez Musharraf was conspiring to make sure that his (Nawaz's) nomination papers for the June 18 by-elections were rejected.

Nawaz said that a conspiracy was being hatched to reject his nomination papers and that of his brother Shahbaz Sharif as well, so as to ensure that they couldn't enter the National Assembly (NA). He said that both of them were eligible to contest the by-polls since their nomination papers had already been okayed by the country's Election Commission authorities. He said Musharraf was using the PCO judges against him, and added that sacked chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Ifitkhar Chaudhry was the legitimate CJ of the country.

Earlier on Monday, PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal had played an audio tape in a press conference in which an unidentified voice, which Iqbal identified as Elahi's, was being told that his "order" of the rejection of Sharifs' nomination papers had been "carried out to a large extent".

To a question posed by Elahi's voice that will the papers of both including Shahbaz Sharif be rejected?, the caller said: "Yes sir, of both. The Lahore chief was in Islamabad last night. He was a bit reluctant, but he was told by a senior most member of the judiciary (the tape recording names the senior member of the judiciary) that the rejection should be done at any expense. He (Lahore chief) demanded that the persons be sent to him and he would constitute a tribunal to reject the cases."

Meanwhile, ruling out indemnity for Musharraf, Nawaz said he had repeatedly requested PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari to impeach Musharraf without delay. The process to impeach Musharraf had started on February 18 and now it should reach its logical conclusion, the Daily Times quoted him as saying.

ANI