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However, upon arrival he was completely ambushed. After a short stay of three to four hours in the airport lounge he was deported to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, via a Pakistan International Airlines flight. This incident has triggered a debate over whether the government was justified in violating the Supreme Court decision and the norms of a democratic society.
It was perhaps the first time in Pakistan's civil aviation history that the destination of an airplane was changed in mid-flight. The aircraft carrying Sharif was scheduled to fly to Quetta; later the impression was given that Sharif was being transported to Karachi in order to face trial. But during the flight its destination was changed to Jeddah. To date no clarification has been made either by the Civil Aviation Authority or by PIA regarding this in-flight change of destination.
The Pakistani nation once again witnessed the real face of its military dictator when a curfew was imposed on the country's five main airports. All flights to and from the airports of Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar and Quetta were cancelled, causing thousands of passengers and their family members great hardship and inconvenience. Once flights resumed, many commuters missed their flights due to roadblocks and no-entry restrictions set up in these cities.
The government's actions were a clear violation of the Supreme Court order that Nawaz Sharif not be restrained from entering Pakistan. At Islamabad Airport an official from the National Accountability Bureau read out a warrant of arrest, creating the impression that Sharif had been arrested for the alleged offense of corruption. Subsequently, the government took the stand that Sharif had been offered two proposals: one to face trial in Pakistan and the other to go to Jeddah. It said he had accepted the second proposal.
Supporters of Sharif have filed contempt proceedings before the Supreme Court with an affidavit from Lord Nazir Ahmed, a member of the British House of Lords who traveled with Sharif from London to Islamabad, stating that Sharif was forced to leave Pakistan. It is likely that the government and its lawyers will undergo a tough time this week before the Supreme Court.
Whatever the decision of the Supreme Court, the nation has already experienced the worst kind of violation of Articles 4, 15 and 17 of the Constitution. A deal brokered through the Saudi king was preferred over the Constitution and all rules of fair play, in defiance of the rule of law which was in effect on Sept. 10.
The Supreme Court issued notices on Oct. 17 to 13 respondents named in the petition, including the prime minister of Pakistan, the chief minister of Punjab, the interior minister and the chiefs of the Civil Aviation Authority, National Accountability Bureau and Pakistan International Airlines. The Supreme Court has also asked the Civil Aviation Authority to submit all records relating to traffic at the Islamabad Airport on Sept. 10 and the PIA flight on that date from London to Islamabad, which continued on to Jeddah.
Among political circles, the role of the Saudi government is also under debate. It has been established that at the time of Sharif's first exile in December 2001, when he and his family were sent to Saudi Arabia, it was as a result of intervention from the Saudi government. In regard to the episode of Sept. 10 the Saudi government has remained silent. Prior to the deportation, however, the chief of Saudi intelligence, Prince Muqrin bin Abdul Aziz, was in Pakistan. Along with Lebanese politician Saad al-Hariri, he made a public statement that Nawaz Sharif should honor his promise to remain out of Pakistan for 10 years.
In Pakistan, the interference of foreign governments is growing day by day, whether it is the United States, Britain, the European Community, Iran or Saudi Arabia. It is interesting to note that on Sept. 9 a detailed report was published in the New York Times in reference to U.S. General Anthony Zinni alleging that Nawaz Sharif had been a strong supporter of fundamentalists in Pakistan and that he had links with al-Qaida chief Osama bin Ladin.
According to political circles, President Pervez Musharraf had the backing of the Bush administration in excluding Sharif, on the grounds that his presence in Pakistan may have strengthened the fundamentalist alliance, the Mutahida Majlis-e-Amal. It is allegedly for this reason that the U.S. State Department declined to comment on the unlawful exile of Sharif, calling it an "internal matter," while a spokeswoman for the European Community strongly condemned the Pakistani government for violating the Supreme Court's decision.
In a strange development, the other exiled former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, announced on Sept. 14 that she would be returning to Pakistan Oct. 18. This time the Pakistani government has reacted in a positive manner. Government representatives have categorically stated that she will not meet the same fate as Nawaz Sharif.
In addition, the rival party to Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party in Sindh, the Muttahida Quami Movement, has said that Bhutto will be welcomed at Karachi Airport upon her return. This is a significant development and reflects the fact that a settlement has been reached between Musharraf and these political parties.
Such a discriminatory stance on the part of the government may create more sympathy for Nawaz Sharif. However, it is to be presumed that Sharif will not be taking part in general elections unless the Supreme Court makes an early ruling overturning the present situation.
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(Rasheed A. Razvi is a lawyer who served as a judge in the Sindh High Court until 2000, when he declined to renew his oath. He has served as president of the Karachi Bar Association and vice chairman of the Sindh Bar Council. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Pakistan Bar Council and was elected its vice chairman in 2002. ©Copyright Rasheed A. Razvi.)
