An 11-member bench of Pakistan's high court in Islamabad on
Wednesday approved application for a full-court hearing of the
petitions challenging the candidacy of General Pervez Musharraf,
the incumbent president, to contest the presidential election held
on October 6.
The high court decision Wednesday means that the hearing will be
delayed till a full court is constituted.
Pakistan's Attorney General (AG) Malik Muhammad Qayyum expressed
conservation over the high court's decision, according to local TV
reports.
On the eve of the presidential election, the high court allowed
the holding of the presidential election but barred the Election
Commission from announcing official notification of the results
till a final disposal of the petitions.
Two presidential candidates, Justice (retd) Wajihuddin Ahmed,
and Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) chief Makhdoom
Amin Fahim had challenged the candidacy of Musharraf to contest the
presidential election and had prayed to the court to stay the
election.
According to the official APP news agency, the Pakistani
parliament gave Musharraf another term as president by a clear
majority on October 6.
(Xinhua News Agency October 17, 2007)