Pakistan court set to rule on Musharraf's re-election

Islamabad: Pakistan's Supreme Court, stacked with judges friendly to President Pervez Musharraf, was expected on Thursday to clear a final challenge to his re-election and pave the way for him to quit as army chief.

The long-awaited ruling comes as Musharraf on Thursday faced the prospect of a second suspension from the Commonwealth since he took power in a bloodless 1999 coup, as he continues to resist calls to fully lift emergency rule.

The Supreme Court has already thrown out five legal challenges to his October re-election by parliament while still serving as army chief, leaving just one -- which Attorney General Malik Qayyum said was stuck on a technicality.

"I expect it to be thrown out today," Qayyum told Reuters. "The (presidential) oath can be taken ... by the weekend or immediately thereafter."

Musharraf has repeatedly said he will relinquish his army post and be sworn in as a civilian leader for a second five-year term in what he calls a transition to civilian-led democracy once his re-election has been endorsed by the court.

The government has appealed to the Commonwealth of 53 nations not to follow through on a threat to suspend Pakistan for failing to meet a Thursday deadline to end emergency rule among other steps.

While critical of his actions, the United States has given General Musharraf, a crucial ally in the fight against Al Qaida and the Taliban, leeway to put things right before a general election on Jan. 8 that the opposition may boycott.