Islamabad - A Pakistani court on Monday ruled that former
prime minister Nawaz Sharif was disqualified from contesting the
upcoming by-elections because of his previous conviction, a spokesman
from his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party said.
'We reject the verdict because it is not based on the principles
of justice. It is absolutely a political decision that has been
dictated by a dictator,' said Siddiqul Farooq.
Sharif is a staunch opponent of the embattled president and
retired army general Pervez Musharraf, who ousted the former premier
in a military coup in 1999.
He was convicted over a number of charges following the overthrow
and exiled for more than seven years. His aides consider the
conviction to be politically motivated.
Sharif returned a few weeks before February 18 elections in which
his party emerged as the second largest party after inflicting a
comprehensive defeat on Musharraf's political allies.
It supported Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of slain former premier
Benazir Bhutto to form the new coalition government.
Sharif was previously barred from contesting the general
elections. He applied once again for contesting June 26 by-polls and
was cleared by country's Election Commission to contest ballot. But
he was challenged in Lahore High Court.
A three-member bench of the court ruled against him, prompting his
angry supporters to chant slogans against Musharraf and what they
called 'his hand-picked judiciary.'
The military dictator-turned-civilian president deposed more than
60 independent-minded senior judges of the Supreme Court and four
provincial High Courts under an emergency order on November 3.
They were replaced by his favourite justices, who approved his
last year's controversial presidential election.
Sharif has advocated for the reinstatement of sacked judges. But
the leading partner in new coalition government, the PPP, has been
hesitant on the issue.
The former prime minister has been projected as the most popular
political leader in Pakistan by a recent survey.
The opinion poll released last week by two Washington-based think-
tanks, New America Foundation and Terror Free Tomorrow, showed that
Sharif has seen a steady rise in his popularity, from 57 per cent
favourable in the August 2007 poll, to 74 per cent in January 2008
and 86 per cent now.
If general elections were held today, Sharif's party would emerge
as the clear winner, according to the survey.
Sharif's party governs the rich and powerful Punjab province,
which is the house of more than half of the 160 millions population
of the country.
Dozens of provincial lawmakers from his PML-N blocked the main
Mall Road of the metropolitan city to protest the court's decision.
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