Rushing back, Sharif wants to foil general's gameplan

ISLAMABAD: Despite hectic efforts by the Musharraf regime to stop Nawaz Sharif from staging a come back, the leader is likely to end his seven-year exile and return home along with his family members either on September 6 or 9.

According sources in the Sharif-led Pakistan Muslim League, their party chief has finalised September 9 as the tentative date for his return during a recent meeting in London. The leadership, favour these dates in view of a national holiday on September 6 and a weekly holiday on September 9, while the landing point for the Sharifs would be decided at the August 29 meeting of the party leadership.

The sources said the Saudi government had not entertained Musharraf's request regarding compelling the Sharifs to abide by the so-called 10-year agreement for not returning.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court of Pakistan constituted a seven-member bench to hear a constitutional petition by Pakistan Lawyers Forum, seeking the apex court directives to restrain Musharraf from getting re-elected from the present assemblies, maintaining that the General suffers from inherent pre-election disqualification.