Pakistani military ruler Pervez Musharraf swept the most votes in a presidential election on Saturday but he has to wait for the Supreme Court to confirm the legality of his bid before he can be declared winner. Doubts over whether the election result will stand have fuelled uncertainty.
Pakistan’s Supreme Court kept the fate of President Pervez Musharraf’s re-election bid in its hands by deciding a vote could go ahead on Saturday, but a winner cannot be declared until it rules if he was eligible to stand. United States ally General Musharraf is sure to win the vote in Parliament and the country’s four provincial assemblies.
Pakistani opposition lawyers made a last-ditch effort on Tuesday to block President Pervez Musharraf’s re-election, telling the Supreme Court as army chief he should be ineligible and Saturday’s vote should be postponed. Once re-elected Musharraf has vowed to quit as army chief and become a civilian leader.