Pakistan court lifts life election ban on ex-PM Sharif

FILE PHOTO: A view of the Supreme Court of Pakistan building during sunset hours in Islamabad, Pakistan October 3, 2023. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro/File Photo

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) -Pakistan's Supreme Court on Monday scrapped lifetime bans on contesting elections for people with criminal convictions, paving the way for Nawaz Sharif to run for prime minister for a fourth time.

Sharif's party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), is considered a front runner to win elections scheduled for Feb. 8, with his main rival, former prime minister Imran Khan, in jail and barred from contesting for five years.