New Delhi: Putting an end to all speculation, Pakistan President, General Pervez Musharraf signed his nomination papers for the presidential elections on Tuesday — this despite the fact that a case of holding dual offices, the post of the president and the army chief, is pending in the Supreme Court against him.
Seventeen Parliamentarians were present during the signing of papers.
The Pakistan Supreme Court is expected to deliver its verdict on President Pervez Musharraf's dual office case on Tuesday. There are speculations that he could impose emergency or even declare martial law if the judgment goes against him.
And Musharraf’s re-election is stirring strong reactions in Pakistan. Lawyer Ahmed Raza Kasuri was sprayed in the face with black ink on Monday as he arrived at the Supreme Court to defend the government against petitions challenging the President’s two offices.
The lawyers are emerging as Musharraf's most determined opponents. They fear the opposition parties will give the General a walkover in the national Assembly and have nominated a former Sindh high court judge as their candidate to fight Musharraf for presidency.
Police searching for opposition activists conducted raids late on Monday, a spokesman for former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's party said, adding that many party organisers had gone underground.
Opposition parties said well over 100 activists were detained in a crackdown that began on the weekend.
An Interior Ministry official said about 100 activists had been held to stop them laying siege to the Election Commission and the Supreme Court. Government officials have said they wanted to stop protests aimed at influencing the court's deliberations.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in rare criticism of Musharraf's government, said on Monday the arrests were troubling. The US embassy called for the release of those detained and urged free and fair elections.
(With inputs from agencies)
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