Pak court bars Sharif from contesting bypoll

A Pakistani court disqualified former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday from contesting this week8217;s by-election, an aide and his lawyers said.

Sharif was barred from the general election in February because he had been convicted for the hijacking of then army chief General Pervez Musharraf8217;s plane in 1999. But he was later cleared to contest the by-polls due on Thursday. A high court in the eastern city of Lahore again barred him from the election.

8220;The decision is based on conspiracy. It8217;s a political decision,8221; Sharif8217;s party spokesman Siddiqul Farooq said.