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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Musharraf facing election rival | Musharraf facing election rival |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A former Supreme Court judge is to stand against President Pervez Musharraf in Pakistan's October presidential election, supporters say. | A former Supreme Court judge is to stand against President Pervez Musharraf in Pakistan's October presidential election, supporters say. |
| Wajihuddin Ahmad has to file his nomination by Thursday. | Wajihuddin Ahmad has to file his nomination by Thursday. |
| Analysts say Mr Ahmad has little chance of beating Gen Musharraf. The president is chosen by parliament and the provincial assemblies. | Analysts say Mr Ahmad has little chance of beating Gen Musharraf. The president is chosen by parliament and the provincial assemblies. |
| The Supreme Court is hearing a number of challenges to whether Gen Musharraf is eligible to stand. | The Supreme Court is hearing a number of challenges to whether Gen Musharraf is eligible to stand. |
| Mr Ahmad's challenge to Gen Musharraf was announced by the president of the Supreme Court bar association, Munir Malik. | Mr Ahmad's challenge to Gen Musharraf was announced by the president of the Supreme Court bar association, Munir Malik. |
| He was one of a number of Supreme Court judges who refused to sign an oath of allegiance to a new provisional constitution after Gen Musharraf's military coup of 1999. | He was one of a number of Supreme Court judges who refused to sign an oath of allegiance to a new provisional constitution after Gen Musharraf's military coup of 1999. |
| The BBC's M Ilyas Khan in Karachi says that, in general, Mr Ahmad's career has been clean and uncontroversial. | The BBC's M Ilyas Khan in Karachi says that, in general, Mr Ahmad's career has been clean and uncontroversial. |
| Pakistan's lawyers have been in the forefront of the challenges to President Musharraf, ever since his ultimately unsuccessful attempt to sack the current chief justice of the Supreme Court. | Pakistan's lawyers have been in the forefront of the challenges to President Musharraf, ever since his ultimately unsuccessful attempt to sack the current chief justice of the Supreme Court. |
| Our correspondent says that the lawyers may be hoping that if the court rules Gen Musharraf ineligible to stand, then Mr Ahmad would be a candidate acceptable to most other groups. | Our correspondent says that the lawyers may be hoping that if the court rules Gen Musharraf ineligible to stand, then Mr Ahmad would be a candidate acceptable to most other groups. |
| Detained | Detained |
| Meanwhile, police have clashed with opposition activists as the Supreme Court resumed its hearings. | Meanwhile, police have clashed with opposition activists as the Supreme Court resumed its hearings. |
| Anti-Musharraf voices are getting stronger in Pakistan | Anti-Musharraf voices are getting stronger in Pakistan |
| About two dozen people were detained as they tried to mount a protest outside the court in Islamabad, witnesses said. | About two dozen people were detained as they tried to mount a protest outside the court in Islamabad, witnesses said. |
| Roads leading to Islamabad have been closed and key opposition figures were detained over the weekend. | Roads leading to Islamabad have been closed and key opposition figures were detained over the weekend. |
| The Supreme Court was asked to consider a number of petitions challenging Gen Musharraf's right to stand in the poll, which the Election Commission says will take place on 6 October. | The Supreme Court was asked to consider a number of petitions challenging Gen Musharraf's right to stand in the poll, which the Election Commission says will take place on 6 October. |
| So far it has rejected three of the petitions. | So far it has rejected three of the petitions. |
| The biggest objection among opposition parties is that they say he is ineligible to run as long as he retains his powerful position as army chief. | The biggest objection among opposition parties is that they say he is ineligible to run as long as he retains his powerful position as army chief. |
| General Musharraf has offered to resign from the military post, but only after he is voted in for a new five-year term. | General Musharraf has offered to resign from the military post, but only after he is voted in for a new five-year term. |
| Arrests | Arrests |
| Heavy security arrangements were put in place to prevent protesters from getting close to the Supreme Court, which is expected to rule this week. | Heavy security arrangements were put in place to prevent protesters from getting close to the Supreme Court, which is expected to rule this week. |
| Roadblocks have been put in place on the main Grand Trunk Road in Attock, and commuters travelling between Punjab and North West Frontier Province are being checked. | Roadblocks have been put in place on the main Grand Trunk Road in Attock, and commuters travelling between Punjab and North West Frontier Province are being checked. |
| Hundreds of activists belonging to the umbrella group of opposition parties, All Parties Democratic Movement, have been detained in recent weeks. | Hundreds of activists belonging to the umbrella group of opposition parties, All Parties Democratic Movement, have been detained in recent weeks. |
| Police said the arrests were due to the "prevailing security threat" | Police said the arrests were due to the "prevailing security threat" |
| They are from the PML-N party of exiled former PM Nawaz Sharif and hard-line Islamists of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam. | They are from the PML-N party of exiled former PM Nawaz Sharif and hard-line Islamists of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam. |
| It is not known how many senior leaders have been held so far - estimates vary from four to 35. | It is not known how many senior leaders have been held so far - estimates vary from four to 35. |
| Police officials said the opposition leaders had been taken into temporary custody for the maintenance of public order. | Police officials said the opposition leaders had been taken into temporary custody for the maintenance of public order. |
| If the Supreme Court rules against Gen Musharraf, he is expected to either stand down or take emergency measures to hold onto power, reports the BBC's Barbara Plett in Islamabad | If the Supreme Court rules against Gen Musharraf, he is expected to either stand down or take emergency measures to hold onto power, reports the BBC's Barbara Plett in Islamabad |
| If it rules in his favour, he will submit his nomination papers, beginning the countdown to the October election. | If it rules in his favour, he will submit his nomination papers, beginning the countdown to the October election. |
| A coalition that includes Pakistan's main Islamic parties and the PML-N of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif says that its deputies will resign from parliament on 29 September, rather than take part in the elections for the president. | A coalition that includes Pakistan's main Islamic parties and the PML-N of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif says that its deputies will resign from parliament on 29 September, rather than take part in the elections for the president. |
| Mr Sharif will return to Pakistan after the Muslim festival of Eid, his spokesman says. Eid will end on 13 or 14 October. | |
| Mr Sharif tried to return earlier this month, but was deported back to Saudi Arabia hours after landing at Islamabad. | |
| Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto says she will return on 18 October. |