cnn: Pakistan's embattled leader, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, could face a key challenge to his rule in the coming months following the expected return of two major opposition leaders.
Pakistan's Supreme Court Thursday lifted the exile imposed on former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, ousted from power eight years ago by Musharraf in a bloodless coup.
The move is expected to clear the way for Sharif to run for office in elections scheduled for later this year or early next year. The court is led by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, who was recently reinstated after he was suspended in March by Musharraf.
"I don't believe in power-sharing with Musharraf -- he is a dictator, we are democrats," Sharif said Thursday, shortly after the Pakistani court's ruling. "How can a democrat share power with a dictator?"
Musharraf wielded a tight grip on power after imposing military rule in 1999, but has seen an increased backlash after failed attempts to control Islamic militants within the country's borders as well as his controversial suspension of the country's top judge in March.
The Bush administration continues to support Musharraf, who it views as a key ally in the war on terrorism.
Thursday's ruling was the latest blow to Musharraf, who is currently facing the most serious challenge since seizing power. The ruling was expected after the top court freed the acting president of Sharif's opposition party from prison in Pakistan several weeks ago.
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