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John MacFarlane is a writer, producer and editor from Montreal, Canada. He has an MA in media studies, a grad diploma in journalism and a B.Eng in electrical engineering. His MA thesis was about the Daily Show. He's interested in civic engagement and communications theory, the digital divide and alternative economic theories, and saving nature.

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Blog Summary: Pakistan SC rules on Musharraf

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posted by John MacFarlane at 13h18 GMT on Sep 28

Pakistan's Supreme Court ruled today that President Pervez Musharraf (the subject of the Why Democracy? film Dinner with the President) can run in the upcoming elections without giving up his position as head of the country's army.

Buzzvines opines that the decision contradicts the constitution and offers three possible explanations:

"1. The justices and their families were threated to get a favorable verdict
2. The justices will be making a lot of trips to the banks
3. The justices were first allowed to gain the nation's confidence by
the staged drama earlier this year so that when a preposterous verdict
was read the nation would accept the verdict."

On the other side, some commenters on Metroblogging Islamabad are hailing the decision as a sign of the Supreme Court's independence. And cyrilalmedia argues that this decision by no means the final one.

Meanwhile, most sources expect to see former PM Benazir Bhutto return to Pakistan on Oct. 18.