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?
@ Viqar Minai
Yes, NS is very popular in Punjab, which has massive 148 national assembly seats from total 272, while BB has to share Sindh with MQM for 61 seats. BB is spent force and she greatly compromised her legitimacy this summer by tying her tether to Musharraf’s sinking ship.
Brother, do the math, and figure out who has better chances of forming national govt, while keeping in mind no Pakistani political party can win outside its own province.
If ………free elections are held in Pakistan, NS will be back as PM.
I think its useless to argue about who is more popular, benazir or nawz sharif. This will be decided when a free and fair election is held.
Right now, the most important thing for the future of Pakistan is the restoration of constitution and judiciary.
@Zakoota,
NS may be popular in Punjab but, at the national level, BB leaves him far behind (deal or no deal).
I really liked one of the viewer comments that was scrolling on the screen of AAJ TV as they showed NS arrival at Lahore. It said, ‘Although Nawaz Sharif is a Lion, but this lion has a habit of running away when the going gets tough!’
BB and NS return to Pakistan may be a good sign for democracy but lets hope these two have learned their lesson while out of Pakistan and would get off their high horse to allow others in their respective parties to become the next PM. Aitzaz Ahsan from PPP and Shahbaz Sharif from PMLN would be the better choices for likely future PM’s (not in this election though) of Pakistan.
If democracy in not practiced within how can it be preached to others?
FLASH: This just in:
With the arrival of the plane carrying the Sharif, etal, the number of people holding foreign secret bank accounts has exceeded the normal limit of corrupt in any single country. Consequently, Secret Banking Trust for the Welfare of the Huddled Masses has issued an urgent advisory for Pakistan. Under clause 270AAA, (Trust Amongst the Thieves), they have requested the few people voluntarily leave vicinage of Pakistan. Evidently, under clause 270AAA (2), if any of the account holder becomes disabled, only a few billion can be kept by the Secret Banking Trust for the Welfare of the Huddled Masses.
Consequently, some the new ProCartoonistOrg judges volunteered but were informed they are newbies in this process and are not eligible. Moreover, there is a shortage of ProCartoonistOrg judges. (As opposed to an oversupply of real and captive judges). Subsequently, it was decided that to avoid the penalty of 270AAA, all those who have secret bank accounts and have served (serviced) the nation for less than twenty years should stand up for the integrity of the process.
However, no one consulted PIA, whose scheduling office has informed that they do not have enough 747s available in Pakistan. Therefore, it is learned that a some will have to wait for full two weeks before they can fly out.
PS. Any resemblance to the real (or imaginary) amendments or PCO is purely coincidental.
Pakistan Zindabad
Pakistan Pa’indabad