Ousted PM's wife to contest Pakistan polls

LAHORE • The wife of ousted Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif will contest a special election for the parliamentary seat he was forced to vacate after the Supreme Court disqualified him from holding office, party officials said yesterday.

Mrs Kulsoom Nawaz Sharif will be the candidate of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party in the by-election to be held in about 45 days.

REUTERS

HK activist 'abducted, beaten by China agents'

HONG KONG • A member of a Hong Kong pro-democracy party claimed yesterday that he was abducted by mainland agents after saying he wanted to send a signed photo of footballer Lionel Messi to the wife of late Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo.

Activist Howard Lam of the Democratic Party also alleged he had been beaten by the agents. The party said the incident has been reported to police.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE