Adil Najam
Former Prime Minister and PML(N) leader Nawaz Sharif is back in Pakistan.
Reportedly he landed in Lahore to a large reception by his supporters and was escorted to a special bullet proof car that had been brought for him. According to The News:
A special plane carrying the PML-N Chief Nawaz Sharif, his brother Shahbaz Sharif and other family members arrived in Lahore from the holy city of Madina on Sunday evening. The convoys of PML-N workers arrived in Lahore to accord rousing welcome to Sharifs. Large welcome banners and pictures of Sharif brothers have been displayed at several places in Lahore. The special plane Boeing777 carried Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif along with 26 members of their family from the holy city of Madina.
The central and provincial leaders of PML-N, lawyers and members of civil society have arrived to receive Sharifs at Lahore Airport. Nawaz Sharif is expected to first visit Data Darbar in a procession and address a public meeting. Security had been tightened in Lahore especially on the airport ahead of arrival of the PML-N leader. Provincial home department has allowed only hundred party leaders to receive Sharifs at the airport, party sources claimed.
According to sources, bullet-proof cars for Sharifs reached in Lahore last night from Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, the home department said that the authorities have decided to give free hand to Nawaz Sharif but he has not been permitted for holding a public meeting and rally.
Nawaz Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif and other family members will be transported to home from the airport, a home department statement said. However, thousands of PML-N workers succeeded in arriving airport by crossing the barricades put up by police. On this occasion, the workers raised slogans both in favour of Nawaz Sharif and against the government.
Readers would remember from our prior posts that in August the Supreme Court of Pakistan had ruled that he could, in fact, return to Pakistan despite whatever ‘deal’ he had made with Gen. Musharraf at teh time of his original flight to Saudi Arabia. However, when he did return to the country in September, he was unceremoniously and dramatically deported back to Saudi Arabia with theatrics which rivaled his own attempts not to let Gen. Musharraf land in Pakistan many moons ago.
Now it turns out that he has made yet another ‘deal’ with Gen. Musharraf which has enabled his return.
It is not fully clear what the ‘terms’ of this deal are. Nor what the Musharraf-Nawaz Sharif deal mean
s for the earlier Musharraf-Benazir deal that had enabled her return some weeks back. Nor, in fact, is it clear what what his return (and the fact that now both Benazir and Nawaz Sharif are back in Pakistan) will mean for the future of Pakistan’s politics and the (supposed) forthcoming elections.
In despair, one even wonders if it means anything at all? Or is this just one more drama in the string of topi dramas that have come to define our distraught and fractured polity?
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Post from emergency times
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Convince PPP to boycott elections
We would strongly urge everyone to contribute in anyway possible in regards to pressurizing PPP to boycott the upcoming election drama. Participation by 3 major parties (PPP, JUI-F and MQM) can give a semblance of legitimacy to these sham elections.
1) Contact the main leaders of PPP and show them your dissent. Below is their information. Please write/call/email/txt/ meet them in person to show your dissent with elections under emergency. Even if they don’t pick up your call, THEY WILL READ YOUR SMSes! The main people to contact are:
Ms Sherry Rehman
Information Secretary
49-Old Clifton, Karachi051-9224129, 021-5834663-4, 0300-8222881, Personal Mobile: 0300-5001420 E-mail: centralinformationsecretary@gmail.com
Mr. Babar Awan
Treasurer
27-E, Ali Plaza, Blue Area, Islamabad. 051-2823778, 2276540,0320-4265000, Personal Mobile: 0300-5000161 E-mail: drbabarawan@hotmail.com
Mr. Farhatullah Babar
Assistant to Mohtarma
Personal Mobile 0300-8552543
Senator Mohammad Enver Baig
House No. 5, Street 55, F-7/4, Islamabad Tel: 2206778, Mobile: 0300-8542308; Fax: 2201107
E-mail: manpower@isb.apollo.net.pkmebaig@hotmail.com
Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto
Chairperson
H. No. 8, St. 19, F-8/2, Islamabad. 051-2282781, 2255264, Fax 2282741Personal Mobile (old number) 0300-5000001 (might not be available onthis but her secretary Awan will probably be.)E-mail: ppp@comsats.net.pk
Makhdoom Amin Fahim
Vice Chairman
11-A, 2nd Sun Set Street, DHA, Karachi, 021-5842140, 0228-31199, 051-2840588,0300-9221234 E-mail: csppp@comsats.net.pk
Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani
Vice Chairman
Gilani House, Ghaus-al-Azam Road, Multan, 155-B, Phase-I, Defence, Lahore061-542424, 0300-8448141, 8730662; 042-5723234.E-mail : makhdoomyrgillani@hotmail.com
Mr. Jehangir Bader
Secretary General
140/107 Karim Block, Allama Iqbal Town, Lahore. 042-5414990-1,0300-8470402; 051-2276014, Fax 051-2276016. E-mail: bader@brain.net.pk
Mian Raza Rabbani
Deputy Secretary General
H. No. 14/II, St. 31, Phase-V, Ext. DHA, Karachi:021-5865841-2, 0300-9291624, 051-9223854. E-mail: rrabbani@cyber.net.pk
Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi
Deputy Secretary General and President PPP Punjab
H. No.445, Bab-ul-Quresh, Muhallah Daulat Gate, Multan061-4514666, 042-5712289, 0300-8634453, E-mail: smhq148@hotmail.com
Mr. Sajjad Bokhari
Deputy Information Secretary
8 - Davis Road, LahoreTele: 042-63714559, 0300-8446754, E-mail: pppintl@lhr.paknet.com.pk
Mr. Babar Awan
Treasurer
27-E, Ali Plaza, Blue Area, Islamabad. 051-2823778, 2276540,0320-4265000 Personal Mobile: 0300-5000141E-mail: drbabarawan@hotmail.com
Central Secretariat Pakistan Peoples Party
House No. 1, Street 85, Sector G-6/4, IslamabadE-mail: csppp@comsats.net.pkTel: (92-51) 2276014-5
In addition if you know who the PPP person for your relevant area is you can find his/her number at: http://www.ppp.org.pk/party.html
2) Student Council’s of various universities, lawyers’ associations, journalist associations’ and other relevant groups should send press releases boycotting the elections under emergency and under the the puppet supreme court and that all parties which take part in the elections without the restoration of the judges will be condemned, boycotted and unjoined, etc. If you want your university’s press release to be sent to newspapers, email them to emergencymedia@gmail.com or emergencyinpakistan@gmail.com
3) Forward this message to as many mailing lists.When you forward this email please remove all previous information of the sender.
Make your voices heard!
Nawaz sharif khushamdaid back home.
He is the only leader in pakistan right now who has his roots in public. Truely represents pakistan.Every pakistani wants to be like him(successful, nice family, pakistani look and professional).
NAWAZ SHARIF ZINDABAD
Hooray, with Nawaz, Benazir and Musharraf, Pakistan’s prospects couldn’t be brighter .
Nawaz Sharif and family’s return is a positive step.
It is indeed our misfortune that we are forced to witness these dramas that are being enacted. Outside forces are shamelessly meddling in our affairs. It is now being conjecured that the Saudis allowed NS to return to blunt the so called ’secular’ forces of Benazir and gang because they just hate her. For all the talk of a Wash backed Benazir coming to power, the chances of NS have improved dramatically. The question is which way our notorious Intel agencies will swing - Now that they have to serve two masters - U.S/Benazir and Saudi Arabia/NS. Musharraf is in the middle of all this muck and the million dollar question is will his ego allow him to even work with Nawaz Sharif after the bad blood between them. The net result of all this is that, the lawyers movement is losing steam and in the grand scheme of things, we can only expect more uncertainty and turmoil in the coming weeks, months and years. This seems like a never ending drama… soap opera is a better word to describe all of this disgraceful skuldugglery being perpetrated on the good people of Pakistan by self serving feudals, generals and monarchs from Beirut to Riyadh.
I am hoping that there is no deal. After landing in Lahore Nawaz has once again given a strong statement for the return to democracy and the reinstatement of the Judiciary. Lets hope he stays true to his word.
By the way BB is saying he is back because of the infamous NRO she negotiated but I think she is just trying to get face time on TV. She has seriously hurt herself with all her flip flops and deals.
Lets hope and pray for better days for Pakistan.
He was denied admission in presence of free supreme court and under constitution. This time we hace POC which dont give basic rights to citizens, so how come in the world he was allowed to return.
There can be only two reasons that NS is allowed to return.
1. Deal to not make him buoycott the election.
2. Or to neutrilize BB factor. BB was giving impresion in westetrn media that if Musharaf is removed, she will come in power. Reality is NS is bigger leader then BB.
It is all about “divide and rule” politics of Musharaf and millatry Inc. but anyhow return of NS is good sign.
Welcome to Nawaz sharif. But the real man behind Nawaz Sharif is Shahbaz Sharif. He is the man when at work he does his job. Shahbaz sharif was seeen in lahore streets 2:00 am calling on wapda workers to restore electricity after rain and heavy winds.
Once again please put behind all the issues but worry about new issue and that is Pakistan is under attack by extremists. Worry about this. I even feel like I am repeating same thing over and over but I can not help as I understand all other issues are not new to us but this is new and very dangerous.
We must peace fully protest in the streets of Pakistan against extremism. With the banners calling these extremist Evils who are killing innocents.
Allah Bless Pakistan
.