Shahbaz Sharif returns from exile, deported back

Defying government warnings not to come, Shahbaz Sharif, a top Pakistani Opposition leader and brother of deposed premier Nawaz Sharif, retu...

Defying government warnings not to come, Shahbaz Sharif, a top Pakistani Opposition leader and brother of deposed premier Nawaz Sharif, returned home today after three years of forced exile, but was immediately deported to Saudi Arabia.

A Gulf Air plane, carrying Shahbaz and a number of national and international newsmen, landed at Lahore airport at 1830 hrs IST.

However, Shahbaz was immediately deported to Jeddah, Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad said.

Prior to his return, 1,000 to 1,100 activists of his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party were arrested as part of the intense crackdown.

Rashid told TV networks here that Shahbaz alighted from the plane, taken into custody and underwent medical check-up at the airport. He claimed that Shahbaz was deported on the basis of an agreement he reportedly signed along with Nawaz giving an undertaking that he would not return for 10 years.

Refusing to release copies of the deal, Rashid swore on his post and said he would resign if it was proved otherwise that there was no such agreement.

Both Shahbaz and Nawaz were exiled along with their families in 2000 after the military coup by President Pervez Musharraf.

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Shahbaz arrived after the country8217;s Supreme Court said exile is illegal and as Pakistani he has right to return home and face any cases against him.

Shahbaz8217;s deportation ended a day-long drama virtually covered live by local TV networks.

He had told the media in Abu Dhabi that his arrival in Pakistan would be a real test of President Pervez Musharraf8217;s claim that democracy has been fully restored in Pakistan.

8216;8216;If they wish to incarcerate me, that is up to them; if they wish to deport me that is up to them,8217;8217; he said prior to his departure.

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Shahbaz planned his return to Pakistan to time it with the ministerial meeting of the Commonwealth to consider readmitting Pakistan to the multilateral body on the basis of claims that the country had returned to democracy.

The deportation came when US Assistant Secretary Christina Rocca was in Pakistan on a three-day visit to hold talks with President Musharraf and other officials.

Ahead of the Shahbaz8217;s arrival, the government launched a major crackdown down by pressuring a local TV channel not to telecast his interview.

Before his arrival police blocked all routes to the airport to stop PML-N workers from going to the airport to welcome him.