[JURIST] Pakistani Attorney General Malik Mohammed Qayyum said Monday that the newly-reconstituted Supreme Court of Pakistan [official website] will next week resume consideration of legal challenges to the eligibility of President Pervez Musharraf [official website] to run for re-election while remaining Army Chief of Staff. Qayyum said that newly-installed Chief Justice Abdul Hamid Dogar will likely adjudicate the cases after swearing in two more justices, expected to occur Tuesday, to form an eleven-justice bench.

Musharraf, who issued his proclamation of emergency rule [PDF text; JURIST report] ahead of the much-anticipated Supreme Court ruling on Musharraf's eligibility [JURIST report], has promised to step down as head of the country's military only if he wins another term as president. Musharraf won an overwhelming victory [JURIST report] last month in legislative elections for the presidency, according to unofficial results. The Supreme Court, proper to being reconstituted following Musharraf's declaration of emergency rule in early November, ruled before the election that the controversial ballot could proceed even though Musharraf continued to serve as army chief, but it barred the Election Commission of Pakistan [official website] from officially declaring a winner until the high court rules on whether Musharraf was in fact eligible to run under the circumstances. Musharraf's opposition has challenged the landslide victory on the grounds that he should have first stood down as head of the army. AFP has more.