Islamabad, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz led a team of 17 ministers and lawmakers to the Election Commission (EC) Thursday morning to propose and second the candidature of Pervez Musharraf for the presidential election. Significantly, the nomination was filed in the name of Mr rather than General Musharraf.

Musharraf's bid for a second term has been challenged before the Supreme Court on the ground that he could not hold two posts at the same time - those of president and chief of army staff. The apex court is likely to give its verdict Thursday.

The proposers and seconders who went to the EC included Sindh Chief Minister Arbab Rahim, Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Yousaf, former Sindh chief minister Ali Maher, federal ministers Aftab Sherpao, Muhammad Ali Durrani, Wasi Zafar, Zahid Hamid, Sheikh Rashid, Amir Muqam, Abdul Razzaq Thaeem, Tariq Azeem and Anisa Zeb.

National Assembly members Hamid Naseer Chattha, Mehnaz Rafi and Farooq Sattar, and senators Waseem Sajjad and Nisar Memon were also in the delegation, Daily Times said quoting unnamed sources.

The names were finalised in a meeting of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Qaid) and its coalition partners Wednesday chaired by the prime minister.

The meeting decided that Musharraf should not file his papers in person; that his papers would be submitted before those of other candidates and that the government team must not shout slogans against the other candidates when filing the papers. The election is scheduled on Oct 6.

The Election Commission amended the rules earlier this month to remove the bar on Musharraf seeking election to the presidency.

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