The final legal challenge that was standing in the way of President General Pervez Musharraf was ruled out on Thursday by Pakistan's Supreme Court.

Now Musharraf can remain in office as a civilian president after eight years of ruling as army chief.

The Supreme Court made by Musharraf’s supporters took less than an hour to dismiss the challenge brought against his victory in the presidential election on October 6.

Musharraf vowed that he will drop his uniform as soon as the court will ratify his re-election and rule as civilian president for another five years. Officials said that it is likely to take the oath next week, AFP reports.

Chief justice Abdul Hameed Dogar ruled: "The petition is dismissed.”

According to Pakistan's attorney-general, Malik Mohammad Qayyum, Musharraf will have to wait for the court to issue a written judgment. Chief justice Abdul Hameed Dogar said that it will be issued on Friday.

Sharifuddin Pirzada, Musharraf's chief legal adviser said that there was “now no impediment to the election commission issuing a notification" in order to announce the winner of the presidential vote on October 6.

Major General Rashid Qureshi, presidential spokesman, said that Musharraf is ready to give up his post as army chief: “The president himself has said repeatedly that he has made up his mind to quit his army post and take the oath as a civilian president as soon as his election victory is notified. There is no change in that plan. He will abide by that commitment and will immediately take the oath.”

The government announced earlier this week the release of almost 5,000 political opponents who were jailed.

Imran Khan was also freed, who had been on hunger strike.

He urged opponent parties to boycott the parliamentary elections due January 8.

He declared: "There are very important issues to decide, mainly whether to participate in this fraudulent election or not and how to persuade the genuine opposition parties to boycott these elections. Gen Musharraf's popularity is at an all-time low. He knows if he has even a semblance of free and fair elections, he is doomed. His whole party would disappear overnight," Guardian Unlimited quotes.

Human rights groups called for the former chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry to be released as well as his family that are held under house arrest since the emergency rule began, on November 3.

Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch said: “It's disgraceful that Musharraf is punishing chief justice Chaudhry, who challenged his power-grab, by keeping the judge's family under house arrest,"

Five other Supreme Court judges are still detained and five more are under house arrest in Lahore.