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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Sharif facing Pakistan poll ban | Sharif facing Pakistan poll ban |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has been barred from standing as a parliamentary candidate in January. | Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has been barred from standing as a parliamentary candidate in January. |
| A rival candidate had complained to the Election Commission, citing criminal convictions against Mr Sharif. The commission upheld the complaint. | A rival candidate had complained to the Election Commission, citing criminal convictions against Mr Sharif. The commission upheld the complaint. |
| Mr Sharif returned from exile last month. He was overthrown in a 1999 military coup led by the then head of the army, Gen Pervez Musharraf. | Mr Sharif returned from exile last month. He was overthrown in a 1999 military coup led by the then head of the army, Gen Pervez Musharraf. |
| President Musharraf resigned from his army post last week. | President Musharraf resigned from his army post last week. |
| He was sworn in for a second term as president, this time as a civilian, on Thursday. | He was sworn in for a second term as president, this time as a civilian, on Thursday. |
| Selective amnesty | Selective amnesty |
| Mr Sharif has until Friday to appeal against the ban. | Mr Sharif has until Friday to appeal against the ban. |
| Ms Bhutto is already on the campaign trail | |
| "His nomination papers are rejected because of his convictions," election officer Raja Qamaruzaman told the Reuters news agency in the eastern city of Lahore. | |
| A lawyer for Mr Sharif, Imtiaz Kaifi, said the decision had been made under pressure: "I'm very clear that there is somebody else who is manoeuvring things." | |
| President Musharraf signed into law an amnesty earlier this year that cleared former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto from corruption charges facing her. | President Musharraf signed into law an amnesty earlier this year that cleared former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto from corruption charges facing her. |
| At the time he and Ms Bhutto were engaged in power-sharing talks. The amnesty was a major factor in her decision to return from self-imposed exile. | At the time he and Ms Bhutto were engaged in power-sharing talks. The amnesty was a major factor in her decision to return from self-imposed exile. |
| However the terms of the amnesty did not clear Mr Sharif. | However the terms of the amnesty did not clear Mr Sharif. |
| He was found guilty of hijacking and terrorism after ordering in 1999 that the plane carrying Gen Musharraf back to Pakistan be stopped from landing. | He was found guilty of hijacking and terrorism after ordering in 1999 that the plane carrying Gen Musharraf back to Pakistan be stopped from landing. |
| The move led to Gen Musharraf staging the coup. | The move led to Gen Musharraf staging the coup. |
| Mr Sharif went into exile the next year. | Mr Sharif went into exile the next year. |
| Boycott differences | |
| Mr Sharif and Ms Bhutto are due to meet later on Monday to discuss a possible joint boycott of January's elections. | Mr Sharif and Ms Bhutto are due to meet later on Monday to discuss a possible joint boycott of January's elections. |
| Mr Musharraf says he will lift emergency rule, imposed one month ago, on 16 December. | |
| Mr Sharif has called for a boycott, but Ms Bhutto has indicated that a boycott would play into Mr Musharraf's hands. | |
| Mr Sharif's brother, Shahbaz, has already been banned from the January elections. He had also applied to stand for a Lahore constituency. |