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Islamabad: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) provincial legislators staged a noisy protest outside the Punjab assembly on Monday following the court's decision to bar its leader Nawaz Sharif from contesting the by-elections.
PML-N information secretary Ahsan Iqbal said the decision vindicated the party's stand for the restoration of the judiciary and the undoing of judicial changes brought about by President Pervez Musharraf's November 3, 2007 declaration of emergency rule.
Judges who had taken oath under the Provisional Constitution Order (PCO) that came into effect following the imposition of emergency rule could not be expected to give independent decisions, Iqbal said.
PML-N spokesman Siddiqul Farooq said a meeting of party leaders and legal experts would be held soon to chalk out the future course of action. "We reject this decision. This is a conspiracy," he said.
Sharif's lawyer Ashtar Ausaf told Dawn News TV he was "appalled" by the ruling. He said the court had handled the case in a "slipshod" manner and disposed of it in just three hours.
Following the verdict, dozens of Sharif's supporters chanted slogans like "Go Musharraf go."
The Sharif brothers had not appeared before any PCO judges during the hearing of legal challenges to their candidatures.
PPP 'disappointed'
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) spokesman Farhatullah Babar, speaking to a private channel, said the party was "deeply disappointed" by the decision.
Babar said the government was of the view that the petition against Sharif was not maintainable and its view had been conveyed to the court by the deputy attorney general. "But now that the court has announced its decision, we will hold consultations with our coalition partner."
With inputs from agencies
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