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?
How can we change Pakistan for good?
Moms:
Moms should have one mission that the child they are raising gets the healthy food.Moms must let the kids go at times when they need to go, so they can gain confidence in their life.Let them work in odd jobs if they want to work.
Working Women:
This way Pakistan’s work force will be doubled and society will be more healthy as these women will make good moms.
May be less Masjids with more qualified Mula’s:
This is needed so future generation know the true meaning of Islam.
And much more:
Pakistani people must keep eyes and ears open and watch out for enemy inside Pakistan physically or via Internet.
Nuclear powers do not fight wars with rockets and bombs , they are fought with espionage and manipulations. Enemy is doing exactly this to take Pakistan back. Watch out.
Allah bless Pakistan
@Shahid:
“What in your view is a better way to restore the constitution: Boycott or participation?”
On the whole, I think that participating in the elections by the political parties, at least PPP and PML-N, is the more likely outcome. Do I actually prefer it? That is really a hard question for me to answer. In the end, I might be willing to hold my nose and acquiesce to it, but only because the alternative (i.e boycott) is less likely to materialise. Also the street agitation which will inevitably follow a boycott entails a high cost to Pakistan, both in terms of economic setback as well as the potential loss of lives.
Now the option of boycott could, in theory, bear fruit; but ONLY if all the opposition parties participated in the boycott. And the chances of that happening seem practically nil at this point unless Musharraf does something to again shoot himself in the foot.
Personally, in my view, if the constitution, the sacked judges, and freedom of the media, are not restored eventually, it is a huge setback. I am not optimistic that Pakistan can recover from such a letdown.
Opposition parties now have a chance to make sure the elections are free and transparent.I think BB and NS will join forces and lay down their terms as soon as Mush sheds his uniform.I just hope they ask to restore the judiciary.
Shahid,
The same as the last 8 years. What can be worse then that?
How long can Pakistan go on like this?
10 years from now it will be another General, actually it might not even be 10 years Kiyani might decide come Wednesday that he wants to rule Pakistan. If Nawaz says no I am not going to contest the elections until we have a free and independent Judiciary it will be one step in the right direction or at least in a different direction.
Does anyone honestly believe that the last 5 years were democratic or the next 5 years usher in Pakistan’s golden age?
BB has been a total disappointment lets hope Nawaz is not.
The Shaukat Aziz’s fate:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007 \11\28\story_28-11-2007_pg7_15