The Anti-Terrorism Court in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi on January 18 formally charged ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif with a number of crimes including attempted murder, terrorism and hijacking.

According to sources from Karachi, Sharif and his brother, Shabaz Sharif, and the five other co-accused, pleaded not guilty after the charges were read out at the courtroom.

If convicted on some of the charges, the former prime minister could face the death penalty.

However, charges of waging war against Pakistan and treason, which had been reported to be possible charges, were dropped.

The formal charge, which had been delayed by legal wrangling, came three months after Sharif was ousted in a coup in October last year.

Judge of the court Rehman Hussian Jaffry adjourned the hearing till January 26.

The military authorities have accused Sharif of attempting to kill Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf and some 200 other passengers when their plane was refused landing at the Karachi airport on October 12, 1999.

On the same night, the army launched a bloodless coup and dismissed the Sharif government.