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Top Pakistani parties may be barred
from fighting polls

The Pakistan government may bar the country's top three political parties from contesting the general elections scheduled to be held in October this year on the grounds that leaders of these parties have been convicted by courts on several charges.

Under the new set of constitutional amendments and rules announced by the government, the Pakistan Peoples Party, Pakistan Muslim League and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement face disqualification, media reports quoting officials said.

An ordinance promulgated by President Pervez Musharraf a few days ago says convicted or absconding politicians are not only barred from contesting polls but were even banned from heading them.

The PPP and PML are headed by former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif and the MQM is lead by Altaf Hussain.

Fearing persecution Bhutto went abroad after losing the polls to Sharif's PML in 1996. She was recently convicted by a Pakistani court for not appearing before it in response to summons issued against her. She has also been declared an absconder, which bars her from contesting polls as well as leading her party.

After the bloodless coup on October 12, 1999, Musharraf had sent Sharif in exile to Jeddah.

Hussain, a firebrand leader from Karachi who lives in self-exile in London faces a host of criminal charges. He has also been categorised as an "absconder".

PTI

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