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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It is not possible to have free and fair elections under present conditions.To boycott the elections untill the legitimate SC is restored,all lawyers,human right activist and journalists are released is the only right thing for opposition parties to do.
Civil society has done its job now it is upto the political parties to rally the masses if they fail we may never get another chance.
Adil,
I dont see NS return as part of a ‘deal’ like Bibi’s for it seems Saudi pressure has been the deciding factor. Its good to see that the House of Saud has decided not be a party in deciding Pakistan’s future.
Feimanallah
Wasim
Is this a “Second Coming” or what?
Whatever it is with all its deals or dheel – it is good to see the return of the native.
Let’s face it, this “Second Coming” is definitely no messianic calling - but at the behest and in service of the foreign axis of power. Let’s hope that NS give impetus towards a democratic civilian rule and let other members in his party go for the PM job – and not call for changing the term limit of two terms. If he does that it would a positive development. Otherwise, as someone said he would be yet another fodder for the divide-and-rule gang who wish to maintain the status quo.
In Islam, the Democratic Society is exists. It is the right of every people to take part into the elections and the voters are the judges. I think that the coming of Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto is the postive sign in Pakistan. The Only Judges are the voters and Islam gives the rights to everybody. and the right of election is also a fundamental right which is completely protected in Islam.
Our Last Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has gives us a complete way of life which if we follow can resolve the poverty, uncertainity and all other problems that we face in the society. Follow the guidelines of Islam in true spirit for peace.
Thanks
Muhammad Khurram
Muneeb Book House
1-Turner Road, Lahore - Pakistan
I wonder if the elections would be free and fair since AG Abdul Qayyum has categorically stated that because of his convictions, NS can’t vie for public positions. Now Musharraf would try to hamper NS by denying him the right to stand in the elections.
It is a welcome development for Pakistan to have NS back in country.
There may not be any ‘deal’ but I don’t think Musharraf’s recent visit to KSA recently was all about Umra or even about pressuring KSA to keep NS from coming back. Fact is that Musharraf is now a tired man! He has opened too many fronts. He was hoping that BB would oblige him after the NRO–but she didn’t take much time to stab him in the front. KSA wants its nose out of Pakistan’s affairs and hence Musharraf was probably told to behave.
Let there be real politics now! I think it would greatly help Pakistan if the two most popular leaders (NS/BB) join forces and follow their ‘Charter of Democracy’ in letter and spirit and work for the betterment of Pakistan. I think, as impatient as our politicians are, it would be better to have elections every 4 years under strictly neutral setups and let the people decide. It may be necessary to have a government of national consensus ruling Pakistan for next 5-10 years to crush the extremism and put in place a code of conduct for both civilians and the men in khakhi.
The call to boycott the elections is nothing but emotional.
What’s the point in boycotting the elections? Give free hand to Musharraf and his cronies and end up with even lesser seats in Senate? Remember the Senate never dissolves and representation their depends on the Assemblies seats. So the parties who would boycott this election, would have lesser seats in Senate and in the next elections, whenever they are held, they won’t be able to take their bills through.