[JURIST] The reconstituted Supreme Court of Pakistan [official website] Thursday dismissed the final outstanding legal challenge to General Pervez Musharraf's October legislative re-election to the post of president of Pakistan. Rival candidate Zahoor Mehdi had argued that the Pakistan election commission [official website] should not have denied Mehdi a slot on the October ballot. The Supreme Court ruled that Mehdi's nomination papers were not valid. Earlier this week the court dismissed five similar claims [JURIST report] disputing Musharraf's eligibility to run for the presidency while still Army chief.

Pakistani Attorney General Malik Muhammad Qayyum says that Musharraf plans on stepping down as head of the army later this week and will hold the presidency for another five year term. It is still unclear when Musharraf will lift his emergency rule [JURIST report], imposed November 3 when he suspended the country's constitution and effectively dismissed the country's then-sitting Supreme Court, citing growing danger from extremists and judicial interference in executive affairs. AP has more.