NewsAm ready to sacrifices personal interests for national cause:Wajih-udin Ahmad
ISLAMABAD: Wajih-udin Ahmad, a retired judge said on Monday that he would stand as a candidate against military ruler Pervez Musharraf in presidential elections due on October 6.
Wajih-udin Ahmad, who was formerly a judge in the Supreme Court, is the only person to announce his candidature against Musharraf as the Pakistani leader seeks a second five-year term in office.
The president is to be elected in a vote by parliament, in which Musharraf's ruling party has a majority.
The judge was nominated by lawyers who have opposed Musharraf since he sacked the country's chief justice, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, on March 9. Chaudhry was later reinstated by the Supreme Court.
"Our ultimate aim is victory against Musharraf," Wajih-udin Ahmad said.
"The lawyers contacted me and said that it was a national cause and a national duty," he said. "I said that there was little hope of success but they said that it is a matter of principles."
“And I said I am ready to sacrifice personal interests for national cause,” Wajih-udin said.
Musharraf, who grabbed power in 1999, has said he will step down from the army soon after the election if he wins, a move that has sparked protests by the opposition.None of Pakistan's major political parties has yet fielded a presidential candidate, but the lawyers have been increasingly vocal since standing up to Musharraf's attempt to oust the chief justice.
"We have nominated Wajih-udin Ahmad, he is a very respected judge and he will be our candidate for president," Supreme Court bar association chief Munir Malik told reporters.
He said Ahmad would be proposed and seconded by other lawyers but did not disclose who they were. Ahmad would likely file his nomination papers on Thursday, the deadline for doing so, he added.
The Supreme Court is hearing a string of challenges against Musharraf's eligibility for the election and also against his dual role as civilian president and army chief.
Courtesy Geo