Musharraf loses poll battle before elections

New Delhi, April 16: Former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf's political ambitions have hit legal walls and his past sins. He risked arrest and came to Pakistan to contest the May 11 elections. Musharraf suffered a major setback today with the rejection of his candidature in all four parliamentary constituencies for which he had filed

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Musharraf's last hopes were dashed when his nomination papers were rejected from NA-32 constituency in Chitral. Earlier, he was disqualified from Karachi, Kasur and Islamabad constituencies.

The Returning Officers had rejected Musharraf's nomination papers after receiving objections to his candidature on the ground that he had violated the Constitution by imposing emergency rule in 2007.

The tribunals today barred Musharraf from contesting the May 11 polls from two constituencies in the Pakistani capital and Punjab province.

The tribunals comprising high court judges upheld decisions by Returning Officers to reject Musharraf's nomination papers for two National Assembly constituencies in Islamabad and Kasur.

The development came a day after another election tribunal dismissed Musharraf's appeal against the rejection of his nomination papers for a parliamentary constituency in Karachi.

Musharraf had filed appeals in the tribunals against the Returning Officers' decisions but these were rejected by the judges.

Meanwhile, Musharraf's lawyer says he plans to file an appeal with the Supreme Court.

Musharraf is also facing a security threat from the Pakistani Taliban, who have vowed to target him with a squad of suicide bombers. His security could have been taken care if he becomes member of national assembly, though legal problems will haunt him.

OneIndia News