Ground Report

Saeed Minhas writes from Islamabad: Self exiled leader of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is thinking of returning to his home country after eight years in exile on this September 9 or 10th, learned this scribe from sources close to Sharif family. Officially a meeting of the central working committee of the party is scheduled to meet in London on August 29 (today) to discuss and decide the final date for his return to Pakistan, but Nawaz Sharif seems to have made up his mind already and has conveyed this to his close aides, learned this scribe through reliable sources. Nawaz Sharif is returning due to the epic ruling of the Supreme Court on August 23rd which set aside Sharifs agreement with the Saudis and Gulf countries to flee the country to avoid jail terms and possible execution on charges ranging from sedition, attempted murder to corruption and conspiracy to murder. Sharifs are under pressure from the party high command to announce a date as soon as possible and encash the political mileage by defying Gen. Musharraf and even those guarantors who saved his life in December 2000 and took him away from the clutches of Gen. Musharraf. Under the deal, which has finally come to surface after eight years, Sharifs were given general amnesty against all charges and was allowed to leave the country not to return for 10 years, stay only inside Saudia Arabia and not to take any part in Pakistani politics. Nawaz and his brother Shahbaz Sharif have already strained their relationship with Saudis by not only leaving the Kingdom on made-up pretexts but also started taking active part rather controlling opposition parties while sitting in London. As a result of that Saudis have already withdrawn the official residence from Sharifs and rest of Sharifs living in Saudia is living in a rented house these days. A source close to Sharifs believes that though Nawaz Sharif has been very upright and composed in public but is finding it hard to reach a final decision. Out of this mind set, sources said that he has decided not to loose the party support and return to Lahore either on September 9 or 10th, a week or two before the expected Presidential elections. Close aides, not wished to be quoted said that if Nawaz Sharif returns he faces the chances of straining relationship with Royal families of Saudia Arabia and UAE and incase of any future problem might not find anyone saving his back because he would be seen as undependable by his saviors and other international players involved in the deal like Hariris of Lebanon. Gen. Musharraf meanwhile is keeping his options open and is not only asking the Saudis, UAE and Lebanese to ensure that their brokered deal is kept by Sharifs but is also having active parleys with Sharifs for some obvious mutual benefits. DG ISI Gen. Kiyani and Gen Hamid Javed have rushed to approach Nawaz Sharif after the court’s verdict and are learned to have shown Sharif both the intent and willingness of the government to get Gen. Musharraf re-elected for another five-year term. The government negotiators learned to have offered three deals to Nawaz Sharif and all the offers end on the same note that Gen. Musharraf has to be accepted for another term. National accountability Bureau (NAB) has already re-opened three corruption cases against Nawaz Sharif while more than seven cases are also ready to be brought to light against his younger brother Shahbaz Sharif which range from corruption to murder charges. The government negotiators have also shown Sharif the possibility of a deal incase Sharif postpones his return and instead send Shahbaz Sharif to Pakistan, a move which party leadership is considering as a suicidal move if considered by Nawaz Sharif. Central leaders of the party have made it clear to Nawaz Sharif that incase he fails to show up at Lahore airport as per his own proposed dates, he would risk killing his own party, just like Benazir Bhutto. Sources further confided that government negotiators have also raised the possibility of working on a mutual deal with Nawaz Sharif that in lieu of his quite support for Gen. Musharraf, he might be allowed to return but in that case he would have to show good behaviour and issue confidence building statements before he embarks upon Pakistan-yatra. With Guarantors on one side, government negotiating team on the other and party leaders like Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, Ahsan Iqbal, Khawaja Asif, Ch, Nisar and many others very minutely monitoring every move of Nawaz, sources say that Nawaz Sharif is facing the biggest dilemma of his political career, which as the records have it started with the blessings of the establishment, late Gen. Jillani and Zia ul Haq. Party leaders, most of them have already flown to London, are keeping a mum publicly and are only saying this on record that “you will see Nawaz Sharif Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhary Pervaiz Elahi, the current champions of Punjab besides chairperson of Pakistan Peoples Party Benazir Bhutto are watching all these development with great curiosity. Chaudharys are playing their role as per the written script and have been busy not only hauling the MPs but also running their aides to UAE and Saudia to exert maximum pressure on Nawaz Sharif and somehow avert his return plans. Especially after their party MPs showing reluctance to vote for a uniformed president, sources claim that they are busy literally running from pillar to the post to ensure that no more dissidents raise their voice at this time in point. They have approached the estranged members of their party and have as usual used every material support to win them back, at-least for the time being. Benazir Bhutto while awaiting a call-back from Gen. Musharraf by the end of this month is also keeping her fingers crossed and has postponed her party’s central executive committee meeting, which was scheduled to be held in London on this Tuesday till 31st of August.