LAHORE : The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday barred former prime minister Nawaz Sharif from taking part in the bye-elections. Bye-elections will be held on vacant seats on June 26 and Nawaz filed nomination papers to contest on a National Assembly seat from Lahore.

Nawaz Sharifs was barred from elections on pleas from rivals that he was convicted in 1999 of attempted kidnapping and tax evasion in the aftermath of the coup in which the then army chief Pervez Musharraf seized power.

PML-N condemned the court verdict as politically motivated and conspiracy to keep Nawaz out of the parliament.

Nawaz candidacy was rejected by a three-member bench of the Lahore High Court after rivals complained to the court that his past convictions made him ineligible.

“We do not accept the verdict. It is a political decision. The decision came other place. We reject the verdict and view it as a conspiracy,” PML-N spokesman Siddiqul Farooq said.

Nawaz has the right to challenge the verdict in the Supreme Court, legal experts said.

Farooq said legal experts of the party will soon chalk out future strategy.

PML-N lawyers and activists chanted slogans against President Pervez Musharraf soon after the court announced the judgment.

Nawaz Sharif was earlier also barred to stand in the February parliamentary election by the Election Commission that his past convictions and made him ineligible.

He wanted to take part in the bye-election on vacant seat in Lahore and the decision was announced only two days before the balloting.

Nawazs lawyers also condemned the verdict but did not say whether or not they will appeal against the decision in the Supreme Court.

Nawaz had refused to appear before those judges who had taken oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO), issued by President Musharraf.

Saad Rafiq, a member of parliament from PML-N, said that Nawaz will not appeal against the verdict.

“We do not recognize those judges who have shown allegiance to Musharraf,” Rafiq said.

In other decision, LHC announced its decision that Shahbaz Sharif, the Chief Minister Punjab incumbent and can continue as Chief Minister. NNI (News Network International), 2008

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