International

Election Looms as Musharraf Rival Cleared to Return

Published August 23, 2007 at 1:00 PM PDT

This story was published more than 17 years ago.

Pakistan's Supreme Court ruled Thursday that President Gen. Pervez Musharraf's main rival can return to the country.

The former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, was ousted in a coup in 1999 by Musharraf and was exiled from Pakistan in 2000.

The Supreme Court's decision comes two months before the presidential election and could hurt Musharraf's bid to hang on to the office.

Freelance journalist Graham Usher in Islamabad talks with Robert Siegel.