Pervez Musharraf to run for Parliament

: The party of Pakistan’s former military dictator Pervez Musharraf announced Saturday that he will run for a seat in parliament in the July 25 national elections.

The move comes after the country’s Supreme Court conditionally allowed Musharraf to return from Dubai, where he has been living in self-exile to avoid arrest on criminal charges. Musharraf’s party said he will campaign for a seat representing the northern town of Chitral.

Also on Saturday, the party of popular longtime opposition politician Imran Khan said he will run for a seat in the National Assembly, which was dissolved May 31 upon completing its fiveyear term. Khan is seeking to become the next prime minister.

Khan’s party is expected to face a tough challenge from candidates backed by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who was disqualified from holding office in July by the Supreme Court on corruption charges.

The party of former President Asif Ali Zardari is also fielding candidates across the country in hopes of getting a majority in parliament. Zardari has said he will run for a seat representing southern Sindh province.

The July 25 elections for seats in the National Assembly and four provincial legislatures will be supervised by the interim government of caretaker Prime Minister Nasir-ul-Mulk, a former chief justice. AP

ISLAMABAD