Kangaroo Court Clears Way For Musharraf's 2nd Term

Pervez Musharraf's kangaroo court wasted little time today in dismissing the last challenge to his October election victory, Reuters reports. The move paves the way for Musharraf to quit as army chief and assume a post as civilian president—which will dull international condemnations since he imposed emergency rule. In reaction, Imran Khan's opposition party became the first to boycott parliamentary elections slated for January 8.

Musharraf has repeatedly promised that he would quit his post as leader of Pakistan's army as soon as he was sworn in for his second presidential term. Whether he will then end emergency rule remains unclear, but the Commonwealth of 53 nations formerly under British rule threatened to suspend Pakistan if it did not reinstate the constitution by today. (More Pervez Musharraf stories.)