Islamabad, Oct 12 : Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) president Shahbaz Sharif has challenged the promulgation of the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) in the Supreme Court.

Shahbaz, the brother of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, has questioned President Pervez Musharraf's authority to grant general amnesty to all politicians, bankers and bureaucrats from charges relating to misdemeanours, misconduct and misuse of power between January 1986 and October 1999.

A four-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry will take up all petitions against the NRO on Friday, The Dawn reported.

Musharraf had on October 5 promulgated the NRO 2007, which gives immediate relief to Pakistan People's Party (PPP) chairperson Benazir Bhutto.

Shahbaz in his petition contended that sections 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the NRO violate the fundamental rights of the people.

He said that corrupt politicians and bureaucrats should face accountability rather than enjoy amnesty at the cost of the poor people. (ANI)