Pakistan's top Court validates Musharraf's re-election (1st Lead)

Nov 22, 2007, 8:01 GMT

Islamabad - The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday threw out the last legal challenge to President Pervez Musharraf's re-election, clearing the way for the military ruler to begin another five-year term.

The judge's dismissed the sixth and the last petition filed by a rival presidential candidate against president's re-election on October 6 by the parliament, said a court official.

The court was expected to allow the government to notify the result of the presidential vote in another ruling to be given later in the day.

The reconstituted court dismissed five other main petitions seeking to block Musharraf's re-election earlier this week.

Musharraf has pledged to resign as army chief and be sworn in as a civilian leader if the court validates his re-election in a parliamentary vote boycotted by the opposition.

His challengers argued before the court that a serving officer is ineligible to run for president under the constitution, which was suspended when he imposed emergency rule on November 3.

Under the emergency measures, the Supreme Court was dissolved and reformed. The new line-up is viewed as being more sympathetic to the re-election of General Musharraf, who came to power in a military coup in 1999 and is a key US ally in the Muslim world.

Pakistani authorities announced Wednesday that more than 5,000 people detained under emergency rule have been released in moves to normalize the situation.

But key opposition leaders are still being held, and large numbers of protesting journalists and other dissenting groups continue to be arrested.

Pakistan is scheduled to hold general elections for new parliamentary assemblies on January 8. Opposition parties have threatened to boycott the polls to protest Musharraf's recent actions.