SC clears President for next term
Staff Report/Agencies

ISLAMABAD—Ten-member full court of the Supreme Court Thursday unanimously dismissed a petition filed by Zahoor Mehdi challenging the rejection of his nomination papers in for the presidential election held on October 6 and won by President General Pervez Musharraf.
The full court had earlier dismissed on Monday six petitions challenging eligibility of General Pervez Musharraf to contest the election. The Court, which is likely to make a written order on Friday, directed the Attorney General to submit detailed documents about the presidential election.
Attorney General Malik Muhammad Qayyum informed the court that he had already submitted some documents while the remaining would be submitted in the apex court shortly.
The Attorney General said General Musharraf had received 57 percent of the total 58 percent votes cast in the election by members of the Senate, National Assembly and all the four provincial assemblies.
The full court headed by Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar comprised Justice Muhammad Nawaz Abbasi, Justice Faqir Muhammad Khokhar, Justice M.Javed Buttar, Justice Muhammad Qaim Jan, Justice Ejaz-ul-Hassan, Justice Mosa K.Leghari, Justice Ch.Ejaz Yousaf, Justice Muhammad Akhtar Shabbir and Justice Zia Pervez.
Zahoor Mehdi appeared in person and requested adjournment for a few days as he had received notice on Wednesday and he needed time to engage a counsel. The court rejected the request. The petitioner argued there was no need of a proposer and a seconder for nomination papers and contended that this concept was against the teachings of Islam. He however conceded that the Election Commission rejected his nomination papers on the basis of conditions laid down in the constitution.
Justice Faqir Muhammad Khokhar said that the question raised by the petitioner had already been settled in M.P. Khan’s case and “more than 20 judgements of the Supreme Court on this question are in the field”. Official notification of the result of the presidential election was not issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan in compliance with the short order passed by the Supreme Court ahead of the polls.
The petitions which have been dismissed were filed by Justice (Retd) Wajihuddin Ahmed, Makhdoom Amin Fahim of PPPP, Pakistan Lawyers Forum, Liaquat Baloch of MMA and Dr.Anwarul Haq in the Supreme Court under Article 184 (3) of the Constitution.
Three of them filed by Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Liaquat Baloch and Dr. Anwarul Haq were dismissed as withdrawn and the remaining three petitions including a contempt petition were filed by Wajihuddin Ahmed and Pakistan Lawyers Forum were dismissed due to non-prosecution. Attorney General Malik Muhammad Qayyum told reporters after the proceedings that the Election Commission would issue official notification after issuance of a written order of the Supreme Court.