NEWSLINKS US EDITION SOUTH ASIA COLUMNISTS DIARY SPECIALS INTERVIEWS CAPITAL BUZZ REDIFF POLL DEAR REDIFF THE STATES ELECTIONS ARCHIVES SEARCH REDIFF
K J M Varma in Islamabad
Adopting a tough posture preventing former Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharief from contesting polls, Pakistan's military regime has also debarred all his family members in exile from returning to the country and 'run for any public office' for a decade.
"None of the family members of Sharief can even return to Pakistan leave alone contesting the polls," government spokesman Rashid Qureshi said in an interview to local daily Dawn published on Tuesday.
He said the deposed premier could not come back before the end of the 10-year period as had been stipulated in the agreement under which the Shariefs were exiled to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia two years ago.
"All those who had gone into exile under that agreement are ineligible to run for any public office," he said.
However, Sharief's Pakistan Muslim League Party has questioned the regime's claim of the agreement.
"There is no agreement," PML Information Secretary Siddiqul Farooq told The News.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Tuesday began hearing two petitions challenging the controversial election order by Musharraf that only graduates could contest elections to the National Assembly and four Provincial Assemblies due in October.
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