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?
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.