Sharif Barred From Pakistan Vote

Pakistani election officials today barred Nawaz Sharif from running in January elections, citing the ex-PM's criminal past. Sharif, who had pushed for an election boycott but registered anyway, dismissed the rejection, saying it would only strengthen his “vigor and resolve.” Sharif's record stems from trumped-up charges related to his 1999 ouster at the hands of Pervez Musharraf, Reuters reports.

“This is the most blatant form of rigging possible," said a spokesman for Sharif, whose brother was also disqualified over financial irregularities. Meanwhile, Sharif today was meeting with fellow opposition leader Benazir Bhutto to discuss boycotts; Bhutto has begun her campaign but has left the door open to joining Sharif in a boycott. (More Nawaz Sharif stories.)