The man who challenged Musharraf
Image: Former Pakistani Supreme Court judge Wajihuddin Ahmad arrives at the election commission office in Islamabad to file his nomination papers on September 27.
As Pakistan hurtles towards what is arguably its most intriguing election, lawyers who are opposed to President Pervez Musharraf have put up a former Pakistan Supreme Court judge as a candidate against him.
Judge Wajihuddin Ahmad filed his nomination on Thursday, the same day Musharraf's supporters also filed his nomination papers for the presidential election. An expert on the Constitution, Ahmad is known best for his decision to quit from the Supreme Court of Pakistan instead of taking the oath of office according to General Musharraf's Provisional Constitutional Order.
Prime minister files Musharraf's nomination
Image: Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz (left) leaves the election commission office with ruling party Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid chief Chaudhry Shujjat (centre), Mushahid Hussain (right), Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri (top left) and other leaders after filing the nomination papers of President Pervez Musharraf.
President Pervez Musharraf also filed his nomination papers on Thursday.
With this the General formally launched his bid for another five-year term in the face of legal challenges and stiff protests by the opposition parties.
Islamabad was sealed off to thwart planned protests by lawyers as Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz led a large group of ministers and chief ministers of three provinces and top leaders of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q to file the papers on behalf of Musharraf.
Besides Aziz, 17 others, including chief ministers of Punjab, Sindh and Balohchistan all belonging to the ruling PML-Q, proposed and seconded Musharraf's candidature.
Go, lawyers tell Musharraf
Image: Pakistani lawyers shout anti-Musharraf slogans outside the election commission office during the filing by candidates or representatives of nomination papers for the forthcoming presidential election.
Also breaking away from the Opposition ranks, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party has named Amin Fahim as its candidate.
However, a spate of petitions challenging Musharraf's dual offices and his re-election bid are before the Supreme Court and an adverse verdict can derail his re-election bid.
Asked whether Musharraf would accept an unfavourable judgment, Mushahid Hussain said, "The court judgment will accepted and respected."
Musharraf had told the nine-member bench hearing petitions against him recently that that if re-elected for a second term, he will quit the post of army chief before taking oath.
Later, Attorney General Malik Mohmmad Qayyum said Musharraf will stay on as the army chief if he is not re-elected as president.
The uniform is everywhere
Image: Policemen stand guard outside the election commission office in Islamabad.
All the roads leading to the Election Commission office were blocked on Thursday and police in riot gear deployed to prevent lawyers' organisations from heading to the commission office to protest against the general's plans to get re-elected.
To keep anti-Musharraf protests at bay, the government had launched a major crackdown on the opposition last week, detaining and putting under house arrest several top leaders.
The arrests drew sharp criticism from the US, which termed the developments as "extremely disturbing."
The nomination papers will be scrutinised on Friday and the election will be held on October 6.
Minutes after Musharraf's nomination papers were filed, the Supreme Court bench hearing the petitions against the general said it wanted to finish off the hearing on Thursday and pronounce a verdict.
As the hearing began, Justice Rana Bhagwandas, who heads the bench, said the court wants to "finish off" the case on Thursday.
Expectations were that the court may deliver a short verdict after the presentations by three senior lawyers who have been appointed by the court as amicus curie.
Source: http://www.rediff.com
Image: Former Pakistani Supreme Court judge Wajihuddin Ahmad arrives at the election commission office in Islamabad to file his nomination papers on September 27.
As Pakistan hurtles towards what is arguably its most intriguing election, lawyers who are opposed to President Pervez Musharraf have put up a former Pakistan Supreme Court judge as a candidate against him.
Judge Wajihuddin Ahmad filed his nomination on Thursday, the same day Musharraf's supporters also filed his nomination papers for the presidential election. An expert on the Constitution, Ahmad is known best for his decision to quit from the Supreme Court of Pakistan instead of taking the oath of office according to General Musharraf's Provisional Constitutional Order.
Prime minister files Musharraf's nomination
Image: Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz (left) leaves the election commission office with ruling party Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid chief Chaudhry Shujjat (centre), Mushahid Hussain (right), Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri (top left) and other leaders after filing the nomination papers of President Pervez Musharraf.
President Pervez Musharraf also filed his nomination papers on Thursday.
With this the General formally launched his bid for another five-year term in the face of legal challenges and stiff protests by the opposition parties.
Islamabad was sealed off to thwart planned protests by lawyers as Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz led a large group of ministers and chief ministers of three provinces and top leaders of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q to file the papers on behalf of Musharraf.
Besides Aziz, 17 others, including chief ministers of Punjab, Sindh and Balohchistan all belonging to the ruling PML-Q, proposed and seconded Musharraf's candidature.
Go, lawyers tell Musharraf
Image: Pakistani lawyers shout anti-Musharraf slogans outside the election commission office during the filing by candidates or representatives of nomination papers for the forthcoming presidential election.
Also breaking away from the Opposition ranks, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party has named Amin Fahim as its candidate.
However, a spate of petitions challenging Musharraf's dual offices and his re-election bid are before the Supreme Court and an adverse verdict can derail his re-election bid.
Asked whether Musharraf would accept an unfavourable judgment, Mushahid Hussain said, "The court judgment will accepted and respected."
Musharraf had told the nine-member bench hearing petitions against him recently that that if re-elected for a second term, he will quit the post of army chief before taking oath.
Later, Attorney General Malik Mohmmad Qayyum said Musharraf will stay on as the army chief if he is not re-elected as president.
The uniform is everywhere
Image: Policemen stand guard outside the election commission office in Islamabad.
All the roads leading to the Election Commission office were blocked on Thursday and police in riot gear deployed to prevent lawyers' organisations from heading to the commission office to protest against the general's plans to get re-elected.
To keep anti-Musharraf protests at bay, the government had launched a major crackdown on the opposition last week, detaining and putting under house arrest several top leaders.
The arrests drew sharp criticism from the US, which termed the developments as "extremely disturbing."
The nomination papers will be scrutinised on Friday and the election will be held on October 6.
Minutes after Musharraf's nomination papers were filed, the Supreme Court bench hearing the petitions against the general said it wanted to finish off the hearing on Thursday and pronounce a verdict.
As the hearing began, Justice Rana Bhagwandas, who heads the bench, said the court wants to "finish off" the case on Thursday.
Expectations were that the court may deliver a short verdict after the presentations by three senior lawyers who have been appointed by the court as amicus curie.
Source: http://www.rediff.com