Musharraf Victory Likely Will Stand

The official ruling is 10 days off, but it’s likely Pakistan’s Supreme Court will uphold the re-election of President Pervez Musharraf, analysts tell Reuters. The court could still rule Musharraf ineligible because he ran while head of the army, but it probably won’t take such drastic action. “It looks likely that Musharraf is home and dry,” said one newspaper.

While analysts agree the general is unpopular, protests haven’t been big enough to compel the court to act. And though Musharraf has consistently ruled out a military takeover, the court may fear such a move if it tried to oust him. “They don’t expect Musharraf to quit,” an analyst said. “Nobody in Pakistan expects Musharraf to quit.” (More Pakistan stories.)