Court dismisses challenges to Musharraf election bid

Pakistan’s reconstituted Supreme Court today dismissed legal challenges to President General Pervez Musharraf’s continued rule, a senior official said.

The decision raises the prospect of President Musharraf quickly resigning as chief of the armed forces and beginning a new presidential term as a civilian - a central demand of opposition parties and the US.

Attorney General Malik Mohammed Qayyum said all the main petitions against Musharraf’s eligibility for an election he won earlier this month were dismissed. He provided no details.