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Musharraf files nomination papers

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf filed nomination papers for the Presidential election on Thursday.

However, uncertainty over the October 6 contest continued with the Supreme Court judgment on his eligibility expected on Friday, and a move by the Opposition to dissolve the North-West Frontier Province Assembly, in which it has a majority.

The President is voted in by an electoral college comprising the two Houses of Parliament — the National Assembly and the Senate — and the four provincial assemblies.

The total number of votes is 702, and a candidate requires a simple majority to win.

In addition to dissolving the NWFP Assembly, which could call into question the legality of the election, Opposition members have also threatened to resign en masse from all assemblies to undermine its credibility.

Two other candidates, the legal community-backed Justice (retd.) Wajihuddin Ahmed, and the Pakistan People’s Party’s Makhdoom Amin Fahim, filed their nominations.

The Election Commission will scrutinise the nominations on Saturday.

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