ISLAMABAD, 2 June 2008 — Pakistan’s Election Commission yesterday cleared the Sharif brothers to contest elections. Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shahbaz have filed nomination papers to contest by-elections to the National Assembly and the Punjab Provincial Assembly respectively. But appeals, citing their previous convictions, were filed challenging their right to contest elections.
The appeals were referred to the Election Commission on Saturday by an Election Tribunal of the Lahore High Court.
Election Commission Secretary Kunwar Dilshad told Arab News yesterday: “Since the returning officer concerned earlier accepted nomination papers of Mian Nawaz Sharif and his brother Mian Shahbaz Sharif, the Election Commission did not make any further observation. They are free to contest elections,” he said.
Nawaz Sharif leads the Pakistan Muslim League (N) party, which is the junior partner in the coalition government. His brother is a former chief minister of Punjab province.
In another political development, former Minister for Railways and a confidant of President Pervez Musharraf, Sheikh Rashid yesterday quit Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid) and formed his own Awami Muslim League party.
Addressing a news conference, he said the PPP-led coalition had so far failed to restore sacked judges and control the economy and was making mistakes, which will prove costly for the country’s economy.
Rashid had filed nomination papers to contest by-election from Rawalpindi but withdrew them yesterday.
