Pakistan asks court to suspend ban on Nawaz Sharif and brother

Islamabad: The Pakistan government on Saturday asked the Supreme Court to suspend a ruling that banned two opposition leaders from elected office.

The request was a step towards dispelling mistrust between the government and former prime minister and opposition leader Nawaz Sharif.

Faced with huge protests, the government on March 14 offered to appeal against the ruling that barred Sharif and his brother Shahbaz from elected office.

Deputy Attorney General Agha Tariq Mehmud said the government had asked the Supreme Court to set aside the ruling, pending ajudicial review.

The Sharif party's government was thrown out of power in the province and the government imposed central rule there for two months.