Islamabad: In a significant ruling, Pakistan Supreme Court has struck down the Law brought in by President Pervez Musharraf to prevent the candidates defeated in the last general elections from contesting the Senate polls, declaring it as "discriminatory".

"We hold that Article 8AA (which prohibits the defeated candidates from contesting Senate polls) is discriminatory in nature and as such violative of Article 25 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan," a Supreme Court Bench said in its judgement on February 10.

The judgement was in response to 25 petitions filed by defeated candidates some of whom included the members of the pro-government political parties.

The apex court's ruling assumed significance as it is the first judgement of its kind to disprove any act of Musharraf during his three-year long military rule.

The Supreme Court had validated the military takeover on October 12, 1999 on the basis of the doctrine of necessity.

The government had defended the Legislation brought in by it, saying that President Musharraf was empowered by the Supreme Court to prescribe any qualification or disqualification for Members of Parliament.

PTI