October 1, 2007	Monday	Ramazan 18, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Sept 30: Makhdoom Amin Fahim and Justice (retd) Wajihuddin Ahmad will challenge on Monday the Election Commission’s decision to accept General Pervez Musharraf’s nomination papers for the presidential election.

President of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Munir A. Malik said that as chief of the army staff, the general could not contest the elections for the office of the president before completing two years after his retirement.

He said the apex court would be requested to stay the presidential poll, schedule to be held on Oct 6, till a decision on the petitions challenging Gen. Musharraf’s eligibility to contest. He said that under the Constitution, the Supreme Court could postpone the presidential election for a specific period.

PPP’s spokesperson Farhatullah Babar confirmed that his party’s candidate Makhdoom Amin Fahim would file a petition. His cover candidate Faryal Talpur will file a separate challenge.

He said the Supreme Court had not validated Gen Musharraf’s re-election bid, it had only dismissed the petitions on technical grounds. He said the merit of the case was yet to be decided.

He said that under Article 184(3) of the constitution a presidential candidate could file a petition in the Supreme Court, adding that Gen. Musharraf’s bid for re-election was illegal and unconstitutional.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Pakistan will release the final list of presidential candidates on Monday.
An official of the commission has asked candidates intending to withdraw their candidature to approach the central office of the commission by noon on Monday. The final list of candidates would be released at 1 pm.

In all, 43 candidates had filed 71 nomination papers. The commission had accepted the papers of three main contenders – General Pervez Musharraf, Makhdoom Amin Fahim and Justice (retd) Wajihuddin Ahmad -- and their cover candidates. Nomination papers of other candidates were rejected on technical grounds.

Gen Musharraf had filed 17 nomination papers in Islamabad and one in Lahore. His cover candidates, Senate chairman Muhammadmian Soomro and National Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain, had filed two and five nomination papers, respectively.

People’s Party Parliamentarian president Amin Faheem had filed three papers in Islamabad and Nawabshah District Nazim Faryal Talpur two papers as his cover candidate. Justice Wajihuddin, the candidate of the lawyers’ community, had filed three nomination papers.

Lahore Bureau adds: PPP leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim says he will contest the presidential election and had no intention to withdraw his candidature.

Instead of withdrawing his papers, he said, he would challenge before the Supreme Court the eligibility of Gen Pervez Musharraf for another term in office.

He also said that the PPP’s central executive committee and the federal council would meet in London on Wednesday to discuss the political situation in the country.