LAHORE - All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) President Dr Muhammad Amjad said Pervez Musharraf would not be able to contest election after withdrawal of the Supreme Court’s interim order, but the party would fully participate in the general elections.

“He won’t be contesting, but the other party leaders, under his leadership, will fully take part in the elections,” said Dr Muhammad Amjad, while talking to The Nation in response to the Supreme Court’s Thursday proceedings.

The apex court had conditionally allowed former president Musharraf to file nomination papers, directing him to appear in person before the court Thursday afternoon. However, the former strongman failed to turn up in the court after which the SC withdrew its previous interim order.

Dr Amjad said had Musharraf been there, the situation would have been different. He said Musharraf would return to the country after Eid, but he did not give any specific date, saying the Supreme Court had adjourned the proceedings for an indefinite period, so they could not give any specific date.

He, however, said All Pakistan Muslim League would issue lists of its candidates contesting the general elections Friday (today). He said 42 candidates would contest for the National Assembly seats, 37 for provincial seats in KP, 30 plus in Punjab, 23 in Sindh and three in Balochistan.

Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan are here and Musharraf is not. “Had Musharraf been in the country, the situation would have totally been different,” Dr Amjad said.

Nawaz Sharif and Zardari, he said, had been doing politics for their children. He said they just wanted to make more money. “Nawaz is doing politics for Maryam and Zardari for Bilawal,” said the APML president.

When asked why Pervez Musharraf could not appear before the court on Thursday, he said he was given just one day to appear before the court.

“Practically, it was not possible for him to come from the UAE just in one day. He also did not have his passport,” he stated arguably.

Dr Amjad, who was in Islamabad, said he reached Pakistan Wednesday morning after having a meeting with Musharraf in UAE where they discussed their complete plan. But when he reached Lahore, attended the court proceedings and consulted his lawyers, they reached the conclusion that time was very short and their leader did not have even passport, he added.