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?
Faraz:
Even in Pakistan judges have got that himmat in 60 years. In a few years judges in Egypt might get the same courage too. By the way there is emergency in Egypt since 1981 when Anwar Saadat was assissinated. Now there are indicatons that the emergency might be lifted next year, after 27 years. Its very difficult for the courts to work properly under emergency.
Faraz:
You have raised some very pertinent questions.
In fact I have though a lot about restriction on serving for more than two terms, or 8 to 10 years as in the USA or even less, fives years as in Mexico. But there is no restriction on PMs in UK yet Tony Blair had to leave after 10 years. In Pakistan no one has survived for more than 11 consecutive years, and had the military not pre-maturely overthrown BB and NS, they might not still be hangin around. So let the political process continue without breaks and in Pakistan it would eject unwanted people after 8 – 11 years as history bears it out.
True in Pakistan opposition is very strong but that has only emerged with the coming of ZAB in 1967, otherwise all politicians would just fall into line once the COAS would say “houshiar baash”.
There is very strong opposition in Egypt as well in the form of brotherhood and it has been fighting for the last so many years and haven’t succeeded. But I am quite sure that if Mubarak does one major blunder he would be gone for good.
Another country where the real opposition is very weak is Iran. All the candidates are picked up by the spiritual leader of Iran yet the President can’t survive beyond eight years. Now it could be argued that they have it because they have laws against it. But in many countries where there are laws that limit time period in the government, laws are changed to accomodate individual people.
Pakistan has its own set of laws but they couldn’t stop military takeovers. Similarly any such laws won’t work in the future. But Pakistan has the distinction of throwing people out or making them lame duck as Musharraf is now going to become.
Nawaz says Itezaz is a hero and PML(N) also supports his candidacy for election.
This cross party support for individuals based on their contribution is unprecedented in recent Pakistan history as far as I am aware.
Oyee , Yeh Buddha Sher Kis Ka Hay ? Is Kay Tou Daath Bhee Nahee Hain.
Oyee Khuda Ka Khouf Karo- Mina Jee Ko Allah Rakhay. Mairay Gonglo Ko Buddha Sher Nahee Kahoo.
Mush removed judges because they were chalenging his illegal election.
Do you think that in Egypt can a judge even think about it?