Pakistan's top court bars former PM Khan's party from elections

Pakistan's Supreme Court barred the party of former prime minister Imran Khan from contesting the elections, in a decision that is seen as a major setback to the party which is still popular among the masses. 

In a decision announced around midnight, the top court banned Khan's party from using its party symbol, a cricket bat, on ballot papers, over failure to hold mandatory intra-party elections. 

The decision means that hundreds of candidates from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) would contest elections as independents and be allotted different electoral symbols. The move is likely to make it difficult for the more than 100 million eligible voters to find their favourites in general elections slated for 8 February. 

Party members condemned the decision. 

"The decision by the highest court has tainted these sham elections even further," PTI's senior leader and a close aide to former prime minister Khan Zulfi Bukhari said in a statement. 

Last month, election authorities rejected Khan's nomination papers for the upcoming vote. Khan has been put behind bars since August as he faces dozens of cases ranging from corruption to leaking diplomatic cable.  

On the other hand, a ruling of the top court last week cleared the way for former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to seek a record fourth term. Sharif, who has ruled Pakistan three times, but could never complete his term due to differences with the powerful army, is the front-runner again, his party announced last month. 

Both Khan and Sharif experienced political downfalls after falling out of favour with powerful military figures. 

Activists have been warning of unfree elections for weeks. 

Since the founding of the state in 1947, there has been repeated unrest and instability in the South Asian country, which lies between India and Afghanistan. The military has ruled for more than half of this time.    (dpa)