Demand to reinstate fired apex court judges

Lahore: Former Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday dismissed Pervez Musharraf's presidency as illegitimate, saying the Supreme Court bench he purged to ensure a second term should be restored to rule on his election.

Hours after Musharraf was again sworn in as president, this time as a civilian, Sharif demanded he end the emergency rule and release opponents jailed after the November 3 crackdown.

"Under the circumstances, we do not accept him as a legitimate president," said Sharif, who returned from exile in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, eight years after Musharraf, then army chief, ousted him in a bloodless coup.

Personal reasons

"The judiciary of November 2 must be restored," said Sharif, an industrialist-turned-politician speaking in the eastern city of Lahore, his power base.

"That judiciary was thrown out by Mr Musharraf just for personal reasons," he said. "Whatever decision that judiciary gives [on his re-election]... that would be a decision which would carry legitimacy and credibility."

Musharraf imposed emergency rule and suspended the constitution on November 3 to purge a Supreme Court he feared would rule against his October re-election by legislators because he was then still serving as army chief.