Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz (left) with Pakistan Muslim League president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain before submitting President Musharraf’s nomination papers in Islamabad on Thursday. (AP)

Islamabad, Sept. 27: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf today officially became a candidate for the October 6 presidential elections while still the army chief.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz led a large group of ministers, chief ministers of three provinces and top leaders of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML) to file the papers on behalf of Musharraf, 64, before the chief election commissioner Qazi Muhammad Farooq.

PML secretary-general Mushahid Hussain Sayeed said Musharraf will be re-elected “without a hitch” and after that he would become “Mr Musharraf”. What Sayeed meant was that Musharraf would quit the post of army chief and be sworn in as a civilian President.

Aziz said Musharraf’s re-election would be a “major positive development” for Pakistan and the region. Musharraf, who got himself elected in a controversial referendum in April 2002 and later legitimised his presidency through a parliamentary vote of confidence in December 2003, is set to complete his five-year term on November 15.

A bench of nine judges is due to deliver a ruling tomorrow that could have far reaching consequences for Pakistan’s transition to greater democracy.

If the court blocks Musharraf’s re-election, analysts say he might impose emergency rule or dissolve parliament and seek a mandate as a civilian from Assemblies after a general election.

Jailed leaders freed

Pakistan Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry today ordered immediate release of detained Opposition members .

Chaudhry issued the edict after summoning police and government officials to explain who signed an order to close roads that lead to the capital today to prevent a planned lawyer-led protest against Musharraf.

State television reported that the court had ordered the release of Javed Hashmi, acting leader of the party of exiled former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and all other political detainees.

Deputy information minister Tariq Azim said Chaudhry’s decision “will be fully implemented”. Hashmi confirmed he had been freed from a jail in Rawalpindi.