'Nawaz Sharif will be deported if he returns to Pak'

ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will be deported if he returns to Pakistan before the end of his ten-year-exile to take part in next year's general elections, a leader of the pro-Musharraf ruling alliance has said.

Former President of Pakistan Farooq Ahmed Leghari, who is a member of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q, said Sharif would be deported like his brother Shabaz Sharif, if he returns home to take part in general elections expected to be held next year.

The Sharif's, who are on exile, are currently campaigning against President Pervez Musharraf from London.

Leghari, who dismissed Benazir Bhutto's government in 1996 told Geo TV that the former Prime Minister left the country on a ten-year exile in 2000 and would be permitted to return only after that.

He said Benazir Bhutto who is on self exile has to face corruption cases if she returns home. Arrests warrants were already pending against her for failing to respond to court summons in different cases, he said.

Reacting to Legahari's remarks, Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-N, (PML-N) denied that Sharif went on exile after entering into any deal with the government. PML-N, Chairman, Raza Zafarull Haq said Leghari's comments meant that government wants to use power to prevent Sharif from coming back to the country.

He said Sharif has every right to return as a Pakistani citizen and any attempts to prevent him would be anti-constitutional and illegal.

"It only shows that there is no law and constitutional rule in the country," he told the same television channel.

Meanwhile local daily 'The Nation' reported that Musharraf has turned down a proposal to make Leghari a care taker Prime Minister during polls.

Leghari's name was proposed during Musharraf's talks with PML-Q leaders to discuss names to head care taker set ups at the federal and provincial levels during the polls.

Musharraf turned down the proposal saying, "He is controversial," the newspaper reported.

The President also hinted at forming a national government at the Centre, the newspaper said adding that the parties returning with good number of seats after 2007 elections will have their share in the federal and provincial governments.

Musharraf urged the PML leaders to prepare for the forthcoming elections so that their party could win majority seats. He also asked them to suggest the names of non-controversial and credible persons to head the national and provincial caretaker governments during elections.