Sharif,Bhutto file nominations; Mush to drop military uniform

Islamabad, Nov 26 (UNI) Former Pakistani Prime Ministers Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto filed nomination papers today to contest upcoming parliamentary elections, as President Pervez Musharraf prepared to take oath as civilian president.

Mr Sharif and Ms Bhutto filed papers from their home towns of Lahore and Larkana amid reports that Gen Musharraf might step down as the army chief by Wednesday.

PML (N) chief, who returned to Pakistan last evening from Saudi Arabia two months after he was sent back in exile hours after arrival in Islamabad, vowed not to work under Gen Musharraf.

''My party will not become part of any coalition government that serves under Musharraf,'' he told reporters in Lahore.

Senior leaders of Pakistan Muslim League (PML) said, the President was not willing to let the former premier return to the country, adding, it was intervention by the Saudi King that forced the military ruler to drop his ''stubborn'' stance.

Mr Sharif said all political and religious parties should boycott January 8 election. His party being part of the All Parties Democratic Alliance (APDM) would, however, abide by decision of the grouping on the issue.

The APDM leadership was to meet in Islamabad on November 29.

Ms Bhutto also described any elections under Emergency as ''farce'', saying she and her party colleagues were filing nomination papers as a ''protest''.

UNI