'Nawaz not to challenge disqualification'

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Quaid Mohammad Nawaz Sharif will not contest his disqualification in the Supreme Court presided over by judges who had taken oath under the 3rd November PCO and senior advocate Akram Sheikh will not represent him in the court, party spokesman Siddiqul Farooque said here on Wednesday.
He was commenting on the Supreme Court order to stay the bye-election in NA-123 till disposal of appeals filed against the Lahore High Court ruling that disqualified Nawaz Sharif from contesting the polls.
It may be added that the Federal Government and proposer and seconder of Nawaz's candidature for NA-123 (Lahore) had filed petitions in the apex court to stay the polls till issue of PML-N leader's eligibility to contest the parliamentary elections was decided.
In its petition the Federal government and other appellants have raised a constitutional question that High Court was not competent to pass orders on such election petitions. The three-member bench of the court issued notices for regular hearing of the case from Monday.
PML-N spokesman said that Nawaz Sharif will not appear in the court on Monday as he does not accept those persons as "judges" who had taken oath under the 3rd November PCO which demanded allegiance to General Musharraf.
He alleged that President Musharraf was hatching conspiracies to frustrate mandate given by the nation in the general elections and PML-N Quaid's disqualification was part of those designs. He contended that earlier an attempt was made to postpone all the by-elections till September 2008.
He said the returning officer of NA-123 and the Election Tribunal have already declared Nawaz Sharif, who has been twice Prime Minister of the country, eligible to contest the parliamentary elections.
Farooque said that PML-N was calling upon its senior coalition partner PPP, not to delay restoration of the deposed judges and independence of judiciary otherwise remnant of dictatorship would continue their attempts to destabilise the coalition government.
Earlier on Wednesday Supreme Court ordered that a special parliamentary election to be held in former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's district be delayed following a ruling that barred him from contesting the poll. Government had filed an urgent appeal with the Supreme Court to overturn the ban on Nawaz's candidacy and hold off the Thursday election in his district.
Nawaz was barred from running in February elections because of convictions related to the 1999 military coup that ousted him from power. Supreme Court, while issuing order for withholding the by-poll in NA-123, issued notices to the parties.
Nawaz Sharif's lawyer, Akram Sheikh Advocate told media that the SC had withheld the by-election until the resolution of issue. SC three-member bench, headed by Justice Musa Laghari comprising of Justice Zawwar Hussain Jaffery and Justice Farrukh Saeed, was hearing the petition against restraining Nawaz Sharif from contesting election.