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KARACHI, Aug 27 (Reuters) - A Pakistani court on Tuesday increased the number of judges who will hear a petition filed by former prime minister Benazir Bhutto challenging laws barring her from October polls, a court official said.

The official added that the provincial high court in Karachi, in Bhutto's home province of Sindh, had increased the number of judges to five from two at the request of state lawyers.

The government request had delayed a scheduled hearing of the petition on Tuesday. The court official said it would now be held on Thursday.

State lawyer Maqbool Elahi Malik earlier said the government had moved for a larger bench of judges because the issue involved some important constitutional clauses.

Bhutto's lawyer Kamal Azfar said the government's request to increase the number of judges was unusual given that it came after three preliminary hearings on Bhutto's petition.

"I will not say there is any sign of weakness on the part of the defendants, but such a belated action speaks for itself," said Azfar, a former governor in Bhutto's native Sindh province.

Bhutto's lawyers have challenged convictions over her failure to appear in court to answer corruption charges and a law barring convicted persons from contesting elections.

Military President Pervez Musharraf, who ousted Nawaz Sharif, Bhutto's successor as prime minister, has decreed that premiers who have served twice before can not run for a third term.

The move effectively excludes Sharif and Bhutto from running in the October 10 polls and both are also disqualified under a law banning people convicted of crimes.

Bhutto has been living in self-imposed exile in London, while Sharif and his family are in exile in Saudi Arabia.

Supporters of Bhutto filed nomination papers for her to stand in the elections last week as did supporters of Sharif, who was ousted in a bloodless coup by Musharraf in October 1999.

Sharif's supporters also filed nominations on behalf of Sharif's wife Kulsoom and younger brother Shahbaz.

Musharraf has said Sharif and Bhutto would be arrested if they tried to return to Pakistan.

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