Pakistan court dismisses key challenges to Musharraf

Pakistan's top court dismissed five of six challenges to Pervez Musharraf's re-election as president Monday. The decision edged him closer to a victory that could help end the country's political crisis. Pakistan court dismisses key challenges to Musharraf Musharraf has promised to quit as army chief - one of the key demands of the opposition and the international community - once the Supreme Court legitimises his victory in last month's presidential election. The court, purged by Musharraf after he declared a state of emergency on November 3, threw out all but one of the challenges contesting the validity of the vote, with the last to be heard later in the week. At the same time, opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was holding talks with the top US diplomat in Pakistan after Washington urged her and Musharraf to restart power-sharing negotiations broken off after he declared emergency rule. After last week ruling out further contact with Musharraf and vowing never to work with him in government, Bhutto pointedly refused in a CNN interview Sunday to repeat those comments. But she is sticking to her key demands, which include Musharraf hanging up his uniform, as he has pledged to do after winning in court. "There were five petitions, they have all been dismissed. There is only one left, and that will be heard on Thursday," Pakistan's attorney general Malik Mohammad Qayyum told AFP. All international media and most local outlets were barred from the heavily secured court building in Islamabad. Bhutto's party earlier Monday said it was withdrawing its own challenge as it did not recognise the new court, which was sworn in under emergency rule. It was not immediately clear if that challenge was one of the five Qayyum was referring to. The Supreme Court has been purged since the state of emergency was imposed November 3 with the former chief justice -- long a thorn in Musharraf's side -- and most of his fellow judges sacked for refusing to take a new oath. Critics and opposition leaders say Musharraf declared the emergency because he feared the court was about to rule against his re-election. Earlier, the military ruler made a recommendation to the elections commission that long-promised parliamentary polls be held on January 8. State media quoted him defending the emergency as "in the interest of the country" and vowing to hold "transparent and fair elections." It said he also hit out at opposition parties mulling a boycott of the polls if they are held under emergency laws. There was no sign of a swift end to the emergency, despite a blunt message Sunday from US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte, who said it was "not compatible" with holding a free and fair vote. Negroponte urged Musharraf to free thousands of political opponents, lawyers and rights activists who have been flung into jail, and lift curbs that have shut down private TV news channels. With Washington increasingly worried at the crisis in its key ally in the fight against Islamic militancy, he met Musharraf and other key officials and spoke by telephone with Bhutto. "The people of Pakistan deserve an opportunity to choose their leaders free from the restrictions that exist under a state of emergency," he said. Bhutto and Musharraf had been in power-sharing talks before the emergency, with the United States eyeing an alliance of two moderate, pro-Western figures as the best way to counter Taliban and Al-Qaeda extremism. A US embassy spokeswoman said Ambassador Anne Patterson was in Karachi, the southern port city which is Bhutto's stronghold, and meeting her at her residence. She did not elaborate. Speaking on CNN, Bhutto refused to be drawn on resuming dialogue. "Let's stop a moment and see whether he first responds to Washington," she said, referring to Musharraf. Last week she held talks with other opposition leaders on forming a united front to force Musharraf from office, and said she was considering boycotting the polls.

Pakistan court dismisses key challenges to Musharraf

Musharraf has promised to quit as army chief - one of the key demands of the opposition and the international community - once the Supreme Court legitimises his victory in last month's presidential election.

The court, purged by Musharraf after he declared a state of emergency on November 3, threw out all but one of the challenges contesting the validity of the vote, with the last to be heard later in the week.

At the same time, opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was holding talks with the top US diplomat in Pakistan after Washington urged her and Musharraf to restart power-sharing negotiations broken off after he declared emergency rule.

After last week ruling out further contact with Musharraf and vowing never to work with him in government, Bhutto pointedly refused in a CNN interview Sunday to repeat those comments.

But she is sticking to her key demands, which include Musharraf hanging up his uniform, as he has pledged to do after winning in court.

"There were five petitions, they have all been dismissed. There is only one left, and that will be heard on Thursday," Pakistan's attorney general Malik Mohammad Qayyum told AFP.

All international media and most local outlets were barred from the heavily secured court building in Islamabad.

Bhutto's party earlier Monday said it was withdrawing its own challenge as it did not recognise the new court, which was sworn in under emergency rule.

It was not immediately clear if that challenge was one of the five Qayyum was referring to.

The Supreme Court has been purged since the state of emergency was imposed November 3 with the former chief justice -- long a thorn in Musharraf's side -- and most of his fellow judges sacked for refusing to take a new oath.

Critics and opposition leaders say Musharraf declared the emergency because he feared the court was about to rule against his re-election.

Earlier, the military ruler made a recommendation to the elections commission that long-promised parliamentary polls be held on January 8.

State media quoted him defending the emergency as "in the interest of the country" and vowing to hold "transparent and fair elections."

It said he also hit out at opposition parties mulling a boycott of the polls if they are held under emergency laws.

There was no sign of a swift end to the emergency, despite a blunt message Sunday from US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte, who said it was "not compatible" with holding a free and fair vote.

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

With Washington increasingly worried at the crisis in its key ally in the fight against Islamic militancy, he met Musharraf and other key officials and spoke by telephone with Bhutto.

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

Bhutto and Musharraf had been in power-sharing talks before the emergency, with the United States eyeing an alliance of two moderate, pro-Western figures as the best way to counter Taliban and Al-Qaeda extremism.

A US embassy spokeswoman said Ambassador Anne Patterson was in Karachi, the southern port city which is Bhutto's stronghold, and meeting her at her residence. She did not elaborate.

Speaking on CNN, Bhutto refused to be drawn on resuming dialogue.

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

Last week she held talks with other opposition leaders on forming a united front to force Musharraf from office, and said she was considering boycotting the polls.