LAHORE, Sept 27: The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) has expressed the hope that the apex court will hand down a decision on petitions challenging Musharraf’s re-election according to aspirations of the people.

At a press conference here on Thursday, bar office-bearers made a claim that they had several options to get Justice Wajihuddin (retired) elected as president in case the APDM resigned en bloc. They said their candidate was being supported by all political forces except the ruling PML, the PPP and the MQM.

They condemned the Election Commission of Pakistan for receiving Gen Musharraf’s nomination papers. They also slated the government for blocking roads leading to Islamabad. They said Attorney General Malik Muhammad Qayyum was committing a blunder by trying to divide lawyers through profitable jobs.

SCBA vice-president Sahibzada Anwar Hameed, secretary Zulfiqar Bokhari, media adviser Muhammad Azhar, and executive committee member Khwaja Tariq Suhail attended the press conference.