The Pakistan Supreme Court on Friday allowed President Pervez Musharraf to contest Presidential elections while remaining as army chief, dismissing a raft of petitions by the opposition against his re-election bid while in uniform.

In a split 6-3 verdict, a nine-member bench held that the General, who filed his nomination papers on Thursday, can contest the October 6 elections in his bid to seek another five-year term.

Six judges supported the dismissal of petitions challenging Musharraf's holding of dual office and his plans to get re-elected, while three other judges, including Justice Rana Bhagwan Das, who headed the bench, held the petitions were maintainable.

The verdict is a shot in the arm for Musharraf who has been at loggerheads with the Supreme Court after he suspended
Chief Justice Iftikhar M Chaudhry in March on charges of misuse of authority, a move that sparked mass protests.

Chaudhry was later reinstated by the Supreme Court. Musharraf's main ally the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) has said that it was confident of the General's victory. However, the opposition All Parties Democratic Movement floated by Sharif announced that its lawmakers would resign from the National Assembly ahead of the Presidential vote.

Also the chief minister of North West Frontier Province, the only one in the country controlled by the opposition, where Islamist alliance Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal is in majority, decided to ask the Governor to dissolve the provincial
assembly.

Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz hailed the court verdict.

"Justice triumphed. The President respects and honours the judgment of the Supreme Court," according to Musharraf's spokesman Rashid Quereshi.

Aziz said, "Today Pakistan has crossed an important, indeed critical milestone in its march towards true democracy."

"The decision will be welcomed by all those who believe in the supremacy of the Constitution and the law and who want Pakistan to move ahead on the democratic course," he said in a statement.
Aziz also called on opposition parties to make sure that the election was held in harmony.

Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid said the verdict has given a "clear hand" to Musharraf contest the Presidential elections without having to doff his uniform.

"This is sad news for the country," said Javed Hashmi, chief of the Pakistan Muslim League party of exiled former premier Nawaz Sharif. Hashmi was detained for several days this week after vowing to lead anti-Musharraf protests.