Former military dictator Pervez Musharraf will run for a seat in Pakistan’s parliament in national elections on July 25, his party has announced.
The move comes after the country’s Supreme Court conditionally allowed the 74-year-old to return from Dubai, where he has been living in self-exile to avoid arrest on criminal charges.
Mr Musharraf’s party said he will campaign for a seat representing the northern town of Chitral.
Mr Khan’s party is expected to face a tough challenge from candidates backed by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who was disqualified in July by the Supreme Court on corruption charges. Mr Sharif himself cannot participate in the vote as he has been disqualified from holding public office.
Mr Zardari has said he will run for a seat representing southern Sindh province.
The party that wins a majority in parliament will name the next prime minister.
Most of Pakistan’s political parties want Mr Musharraf arrested.
He has not set any date for his return, but the court wants him back before June 13 to avoid arrest in connection with several criminal cases pending against him.
Mr Musharraf seized power in 1999 by ousting the government of Mr Sharif. In 2008, he was forced to resign after the party of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto came to power.
