EC rejects Nawaz's nomination for polls

Lahore, Dec 3: Former Pakistan premier Nawaz Sharif has been barred from the January 8 general elections after the Election Commission rejected his nomination papers from the National Assembly seat in Punjab.

Though the reason for the rejection of his nomination papers has not been made public, reports suggest that PML-N chief's papers were rejected on the ground of various cases pending against him, including the plane-hijacking case that followed the 1999 bloodless military coup by the then Army Chief, General Pervez Musharraf.

Sharif was not available for any comments.However, his lawyer Imtiaz Kaifi said that PML-N would decide on whether to file a petition in the court.

"After the rejection of Nawaz Sharif's nomination papers, it is proved that some unidentified hands are dealing all these affairs. Because, under the law nomination papers of Nawaz Sharif cannot be rejected," he added.

Sharif, who arrived in Islamabad earlier in the day, has already announced of boycotting the general polls, and is speaking to his once bitter political foe Benazir Bhutto on the issue.

Sharif had returned to Pakistan on November 25 after remaining in exile for eight years in Saudi Arabia and London, and filed his nomination papers from NA-120 seat, just a day after he landed at the Lahore airport with his family members.

The candidacy of his brother, Shahbaz Sharif, has also been rejected because of pending criminal charges against him.

Shahbaz Sharif had filed his nomination papers for National Assembly seat NA 119, and Punjab Assembly seats PP141 and PP 142.

Shahbaz has said that he would challenge the rejection in the court.

ANI>