Pakistan on high alert on Sharif's return

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday sounded a high alert at airports, clamped prohibitory orders and detained thousands of opposition activists as former prime Minister Nawaz Sharif faced the threat of deportation immediately after his return from a seven-year exile on Monday.
 
As per a plan chalked out by Pakistan government, the plane carrying Sharif brothers would be allowed to land and later deported to Saudi Arabia where they were initially sent to exile in 2000, a year after the bloodless coup by General Pervez Musharraf, officials were quoted as saying here on Sunday.

Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad had earlier said Sharif would be detained after his arrival in Islamabad and 'deported' to either Britain or Saudi Arabia.

Sharif, 57, could be deported back in a special Saudi plane which may arrive today itself as Sharif brothers were set to land here by Gulf Air flight from London around 1130 HRS IST on Monday, the officials said.

The two brothers would be allowed come out of the plane, will be ushered in to a lounge and would be taken to the special plane and deported, they were quoted as saying by Dawn TV here.

The government has declared a red alert at airports. A five km radius around the Rawalpindi and Islamabad airports would be sealed and no one, including media and political workers, would be allowed to enter the area.

Authorities have clamped Sec 144 in nearby Rawalpindi to thwart attempts by Sharif's supporters to converge there.

PML-N spokesman Ahsan Iqbal said over 2,000 people have been detained in a government crackdown on Sharif's supporters.

Besides Sharif's PML-N, leaders of All Party Democratic Movement, which included Islamist alliance Muttahida Majilis Amal, and cricketer turned politician Imran Khan have appealed to their partymen to receive Sharif brothers.

The government has warned police officials in Rawalpindi and Islamabad that they would be suspended for 'dereliction' of duty if they failed to stop Sharif supporters.

Bhutto' Pakistan People's Party welcomed Sharif's decision to return but said that it would stay away from taking part in welcome ceremonies.

The government was confident that it could defend its action before the Supreme Court which had last month ruled that Sharifs return should not be obstructed, officials said.

The government would defend itself saying that they were not arrested but deported as per the 2000 deal they struck with Saudi Arabia.
   
The plan was chalked out after Saudi prince and intelligence chief Muqrin bin Abdul Aziz said here yesterday that Riyadh was ready to host them again.

"Saudi Arabia would welcome the Sharifs if they are deported by the Pakistani government," local daily 'The News' quoted him as saying after a meeting he had along with Lebanese leader Saad Hariri who negotiated the exile for Sharif in 2000.

To a question, Aziz had said Musharraf did not raise the issue of sending Sharifs back to Jeddah where they lived for six years.

"Saudi Arabia is for all our brothers and sisters all over the Muslim world," Aziz reportedly said later to a specific question whether they could be deported again.
     
After he was ousted by Musharraf, Sharif was convicted on charges of treason but was allowed to go into exile along with 20 members of family under the agreement.

Aziz and Hariri asked Sharif to abide by an agreement he signed to stay in ten year exile. Sharif, however, insists the agreement to be in exile was for only five years.

Sharifs were kept at a royal palace in Jeddah where they lived for six years, away from media attention, before moving to London last year on passports restored by Musharraf.