Pakistan court resumes hearing

Islamabad: Pakistan's top court heard challenges on Wednesday to the legality of Gen. Pervez Musharraf's re-election as president, a day before former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto returns from exile.

Musharraf's opponents have petitioned the Supreme Court, claiming that the US-allied strongman was ineligible to contest the Oct. 6 vote.

Government officials insist the poll was held legally, however, the court has ruled that Musharraf's victory can only become official once it rules on the complaints.

The challenge and other politically sensitive cases pending before the court have injected more instability into Pakistan's already turbulent politics.

Opposition parties boycotted the presidential election, leaving Musharraf to gather an overwhelming majority of the votes cast by federal and provincial lawmakers.

The opposition argues that it was unconstitutional for an outgoing Parliament to choose a new president and that Musharraf is disqualified under a bar on public servants seeking elected office.

Musharraf has promised to quit his powerful position as army chief, but only after securing another five-year presidential mandate. His term and that of Parliament expire on Nov. 15.

It is unclear when the court will rule on the case, which has injected more uncertainty into Pakistan's already turbulent politics.

When hearings resumed Wednesday, opposition lawyers requested that all the court's justices decide whether Musharraf should be disqualified.

Eleven judges are currently hearing the case.

"This is a historic burden and the entire court should share it," said Hamid Khan, attorney for a retired judge who contested the presidential election but received only a handful of votes.

The court said it would pass the request to Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry.

Officials are urging Bhutto to delay her return because of the legal uncertainties and fears that she could be attacked by Islamic militants.

Still, few expect that she will face the same treatment as Sharif, who was swiftly deported to Saudi Arabia when he tried to return last month.

The Supreme Court is to hear later Wednesday a petition from Sharif, the prime minister ousted in Musharraf's 1999 coup, arguing that he should be allowed to come back.