Opposition keep boycott option open

ISLAMABAD – Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s politician brother faced possible arrest yesterday over murder charges dating back to 1998 after both brothers were excluded from upcoming parliamentary elections.

An anti-terrorism court in Lahore issued contempt notices to two police officers for not arresting Shahbaz Sharif for having allegedly ordered security forces to kill suspected criminals in a shootout eight years ago, when he was chief minister of Punjab province, the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan reported yesterday. The move against Shahbaz Sharif came after election officials on Monday rejected Nawaz Sharif’s own candidacy for January 8 parliamentary elections on the ground that he had been convicted in two cases stemming from a 1999 military coup in which current President Pervez Musharraf overthrew his government.Since returning last week to Pakistan after eight years in exile, Sharif has emerged as Musharraf’s most vociferous opponent.He has called Musharraf’s presidency illegal and refuses to deal with the newly retired army general.He has also demanded the reinstatement of Supreme Court judges fired by Musharraf after it appeared likely they would rule against his attempt to secure a new presidential term.In a show of unity on Monday, Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto, another former prime minister who recently returned from exile, agreed that the upcoming parliamentary elections would not be free and fair under the state of emergency that Musharraf proclaimed a month ago.”We reserve the right to boycott the elections at a later stage,” Bhutto said at a news conference with Sharif after talks at her residence in the capital – the first meeting between the two since their recent returns.”The ball will be in the court of the regime.”Sharif said a committee consisting of four members from each their parties would draw up demands within the next few days.He said they would set a deadline for authorities to comply, but gave no indication of how much time they would allow.”These elections will be massively rigged because Mr.Musharraf’s survival lies in rigging it,” Sharif predicted.Bhutto said she was ‘very sad’ that election officials in Sharif’s home city of Lahore rejected his nomination papers.If upheld, the decision could dash his hopes of winning a third term as prime minister.Shahbaz Sharif’s candidacy also was rejected on Saturday over the murder charges and an allegedly defaulted bank loan.Bhutto also said authorities must release the Supreme Court judges from house arrest who were ousted just as they were apparently poised to rule against Musharraf’s continued presidency.Nampa-APThe move against Shahbaz Sharif came after election officials on Monday rejected Nawaz Sharif’s own candidacy for January 8 parliamentary elections on the ground that he had been convicted in two cases stemming from a 1999 military coup in which current President Pervez Musharraf overthrew his government.Since returning last week to Pakistan after eight years in exile, Sharif has emerged as Musharraf’s most vociferous opponent.He has called Musharraf’s presidency illegal and refuses to deal with the newly retired army general.He has also demanded the reinstatement of Supreme Court judges fired by Musharraf after it appeared likely they would rule against his attempt to secure a new presidential term.In a show of unity on Monday, Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto, another former prime minister who recently returned from exile, agreed that the upcoming parliamentary elections would not be free and fair under the state of emergency that Musharraf proclaimed a month ago.”We reserve the right to boycott the elections at a later stage,” Bhutto said at a news conference with Sharif after talks at her residence in the capital – the first meeting between the two since their recent returns.”The ball will be in the court of the regime.”Sharif said a committee consisting of four members from each their parties would draw up demands within the next few days.He said they would set a deadline for authorities to comply, but gave no indication of how much time they would allow.”These elections will be massively rigged because Mr.Musharraf’s survival lies in rigging it,” Sharif predicted.Bhutto said she was ‘very sad’ that election officials in Sharif’s home city of Lahore rejected his nomination papers.If upheld, the decision could dash his hopes of winning a third term as prime minister.Shahbaz Sharif’s candidacy also was rejected on Saturday over the murder charges and an allegedly defaulted bank loan.Bhutto also said authorities must release the Supreme Court judges from house arrest who were ousted just as they were apparently poised to rule against Musharraf’s continued presidency.Nampa-AP