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Election ban for Sharif brothers Election ban for Sharif brothers
(20 minutes later)
Pakistan's Supreme Court has barred former prime minister and opposition leader Nawaz Sharif and his brother, Shahbaz Sharif, from elected office.Pakistan's Supreme Court has barred former prime minister and opposition leader Nawaz Sharif and his brother, Shahbaz Sharif, from elected office.
Mr Sharif's PML-N party holds power in Punjab province. His brother is the chief minister there. Nawaz Sharif's PML-N party holds power in Punjab province and his brother is the chief minister there.
Last June, the high court in the city of Lahore upheld an earlier ruling which barred Mr Sharif from running in a parliamentary by-election. Last June, the high court in the city of Lahore upheld an earlier ruling that barred Nawaz Sharif from running in a parliamentary by-election.
The court said Mr Sharif was ineligible to stand because of a 1999 conviction. The court said he was ineligible to stand because of a 1999 conviction.
Mr Sharif was convicted over the 1999 hijacking of a plane carrying then army chief Gen Pervez Musharraf. The BBC's Barbara Plett in Islamabad says that the court order will deepen the rift between the Sharifs and the federal government and increase the chances of political instability in the country.
The alleged hijacking was part of events which led to Gen Musharraf ousting Mr Sharif in a coup and going on to become president. Mr Musharraf stood down last year. Falling out
One of the Sharif lawyers, Akram Sheikh, confirmed that their appeal in the Supreme Court against the earlier ruling had been dismissed.
He said: "[President] Asif Ali Zardari had a hand in the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif and today's decision is also according to his wishes."
Nawaz Sharif is not an MP at the moment, but analysts say the court order will force Shahbaz Sharif to step down from the post of Punjab's chief minister.
Nawaz Sharif had been convicted in connection with the 1999 hijacking of a plane carrying then army chief Gen Pervez Musharraf.
The event led to Gen Musharraf ousting Mr Sharif in a coup and going on to become president. Pervez Musharraf stood down last year.
The PML-N and Pakistan's ruling party PPP emerged as the two biggest parties after last year's elections, trouncing allies of Pervez Musharraf.
They formed a fragile coalition and managed to force Mr Musharraf out of office.
But soon after, Mr Sharif fell out with PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari and they split over the issue of the reinstatement of judges sacked by Mr Musharraf.