Pakistan polls: Nomination papers of Pervez Musharraf rejected

Islamabad, April 5 : Pervez Musharraf's nomination papers for a parliamentary constituency in Pakistan's Punjab province were today rejected, even as the Supreme Court decided to hear a petition seeking the former military ruler's trial for treason.

The Returning Officer for a parliamentary constituency at Kasur in Punjab rejected 69-year-old Musharraf's nomination papers for the 11th May general election on the ground that the signature did not match the one on his national identity card, officials said.

Reports said a lawyer, Javed Kasuri Advocate, too had objected to Musharraf's candidature on the ground that the former President had violated Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution, which specify that candidates should have a "good character" and be "sagacious, righteous and non-profligate".

Returning Officer Mohammad Saleem rejected the former dictator's nomination papers, officials said.

In a separate development, a man named Syed Tariq Ali submitted an objection to nomination papers filed by Musharraf for another parliamentary constituency in Islamabad.

It could not immediately be ascertained when election authorities would take up the objection.

In another significant development, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry will take up on Monday a petition filed by former Rawalpindi High Court Bar Association president Taufiq Asif seeking Musharraf's trial for treason.