Pakistan's Supreme Court has rejected a bid to postpone an election President Pervez Musharraf is set to win but said the result must be withheld until a ruling on challenges to his eligibility.
"It is unanimously decided that the election process that has already commenced shall continue," judge Javed Iqbal told the court.
"But the final notification of the result of the election shall not be announced until the decision is made," he said, referring to a ruling on the opposition challenges.
It could take up to 11 days to complete the process, meaning the country will be in political limbo after the election, and it clouds the gathering prospect of a power-sharing deal with former premier Benazir Bhutto.
President Musharraf and Mrs Bhutto appeared yesterday to have agreed details of an amnesty for former officials that would scrap long-standing corruption cases against her and other politicians - smoothing the way for her planned return from self-imposed exile in London on October 18th.
The government said it would respect the court ruling.