Lahore: Buoyed by the strong performance of his party in Pakistan's parliamentary polls, former premier and PML-N chief, Nawaz Sharif said deposed members of the superior judiciary should be re-instated so that they can decide on the validity of Pervez Musharraf's re-election as President.

Sharif, whose party surprised the political establishment by bagging 65 of the 269 National Assembly seats for which direct elections were held Monday, also said the military should "abandon its role in politics". He said, "I expect the army to act according to the law."

The two-time Premier, who was deposed by Musharraf in a bloodless coup in 1999, said the PML-N did not accept the emergency imposed by the President last year or the sacking of the judges who had not endorsed the measure.

"The steps taken by Musharraf during the emergency will have to be rolled back," he asserted.

Asked if the PML-N will work with other opposition parties to impeach Musharraf, Sharif said: "Well I think once the judiciary is restored, that judiciary will then have to give judgement on the eligibility of Musharraf's candidature" whether he was eligible to contest the October 6 presidential election, which he had swept.

Musharraf sacked nearly 60 members of the superior judiciary during the emergency, including Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar M Chaudhry and other judges who were hearing challenges to his re-election.

Sharif has repeatedly said the PML-N will reinstate the deposed judges. All candidates of the party were administered a pledge before the polls that committed them to working for the reinstatement of the judges.

Source : PTI