Pakistan's top court to hear Musharraf case

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf moved to nail down a date of January 8 for general elections as the nation's Supreme Court convened Monday to consider the legality of his own bid for office.   

The court's ruling on his re-election last month is crucial to shaping the future of Pakistan, as the military ruler has vowed to quit as army chief and take the oath as a civilian president if the verdict goes in his favour.   

But there was no sign of a swift end to his state of emergency, despite a blunt message delivered in weekend talks by visiting US envoy John Negroponte, who said it was "not compatible" with free and fair elections.   

The government said Musharraf had sent his recommendation of a date to the election commission, which meets this week.   

"Inshallah (God willing), the general elections in the country would be held on January 8," a government statement quoted him as saying.

State media said Musharraf had hit out at opposition parties mulling a boycott of the polls if they are held under emergency laws.

"There are certain elements who want to create disturbance and are talking of boycott," he told a dinner for political allies, according to the official Associated Press of Pakistan.   

"Those who do not have confidence in themselves resort to boycott... such elements know they would lose the election, and that is why they are thinking of resorting to boycott," he added.   

Opposition leader and former premier Benazir Bhutto has said she is trying to form a united front against Musharraf and is mulling a boycott.   

Negroponte, the US deputy secretary of state, called on Musharraf to lift the state of emergency amid growing US concern at the crisis in Pakistan, Washington's key ally in the fight against Islamic militancy.   

He met Musharraf and other key officials, and also spoke by telephone with Benazir Bhutto, hours after she had been freed from house arrest for a second time in 10 days.   

Negroponte urged Musharraf also to free thousands of political opponents, lawyers and rights activists who have been flung into prison, and lift curbs that have shut down private TV news channels.   

"The people of Pakistan deserve an opportunity to choose their leaders free from the restrictions that exist under a state of emergency," he said.   

The general, who seized power in a 1999 coup, imposed the emergency citing Islamic violence and an unruly judiciary, and a senior presidential aide said he had told Negroponte it would only end once security improved.   

Negroponte also urged Musharraf and Bhutto to resume power-sharing talks, which Washington had been eyeing as a moderate bulwark against extremism.   

Bhutto appeared to scrap hopes of a deal last week, ruling out further talks and vowing never to serve with Musharraf.   

But interviewed by CNN Sunday after Negroponte's visit, she refused to be drawn on whether she might take up dialogue again.   

"Let's stop a moment and see whether he first responds to Washington," she said, referring to Musharraf.   

The Supreme Court will take up challenges suspended when the military ruler declared emergency rule two weeks ago.   

They argue he was ineligible to stand for re-election while in uniform and that the vote should not have been carried out by the outgoing parliament and provincial assemblies.   

The court is expected to rule in his favour, after it was stripped of most of its previous judges for refusing to sign an oath legitimising the state of emergency.   

Attorney General Malik Mohammed Qayyum said last week he expected a ruling by the end of the month, allowing Musharraf to hang up his uniform by December 1.