Islamabad: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf was one step closer to overcoming all legal challenges to his continued rule with the Supreme Court today dismissing five of the six petitions putting him on course for another five-year term but as a civilian president this time.

The main legal challenges were rejected by a Supreme Court hand picked by Musharraf but it can authorize the election commission to announce the President as the winner of the vote only after it rules on Thursday on the sixth petition. The sixth petition was filed by a civil servant- Zahoor Mahdi- whose candidacy for the Oct. Six presidential election was rejected by the election commission.

The verdict was given by a 10-judge full court headed by new Supreme Court Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, all of whom were sworn in under the Provisional Constitutional Order issued by Musharraf. Among the five petitions dismissed today were those filed by retired judge Wajihuddin Ahmed and Pakistan People's Party leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim, who had unsuccessfully contested the October 6 presidential poll.

Today's court ruling could hasten Musharraf's decision to take off his army uniform since the General has said he would quit as Army Chief by the end of the month after he takes oath as President. Musharraf's second term as president hinged on the outcome of the case, which was originally being heard by an 11-member bench of the apex court before the military ruler imposed emergency on November 3 and sacked most judges of the superior judiciary. Media reports quoting an unidentifed official as saying today's ruling allows the president to fulfill his commitment about becoming a civilian president.

Source : PTI