Text Only
Search

 
Saudi Arabia Urges Sharif Not to Return to Pakistan

08 September 2007

Saudi Arabia says former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should honor an exile agreement, and scrap his plans to return to Pakistan.

Saudi Prince Miqran bin Abdul-Aziz talks to media representatives after a meeting with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf in Rawalpindi, 08 Sep 2007
Saudi intelligence chief Prince Muqrin bin Abdul-Aziz talks to media representatives after a meeting with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf in Rawalpindi, 08 Sep 2007
Saudi intelligence chief Prince Muqrin bin Abdul-Aziz spoke Saturday in Islamabad, where he met with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and Lebanese lawmaker Saad Hariri.

The Saudi royal family and Hariri's father, the late Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, brokered the deal that sent Mr. Sharif to Saudi Arabia in 2000, after he was ousted in a coup led by General Musharraf.

According to that deal, Mr. Sharif was to stay in exile for 10 years, but Pakistan's Supreme Court last month said he had the right to return to the country.

Citing the court decision, Mr. Sharif says he will return to Pakistan Monday to challenge General Musharraf in upcoming elections.

On Friday, a Pakistani court issued an arrest order for Shahbaz Sharif, the younger brother of Nawaz Sharif, who will be returning to Pakistan with his brother.

Shahbaz Sharif is accused of ordering the killing of five suspected Islamic militants in an allegedly faked police encounter in 1998 when he was chief minister of Punjab province (1997-1999).

Nawaz Sharif also faces the possibility of arrest on corruption charges.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.

 

emailme.gif E-mail This Article
printerfriendly.gif Print Version

  Related Stories
Pakistan Reopens Corruption Charges Against Sharif
Political Turmoil in Pakistan Deepens
 
  Top Story
Obama Pays Tribute to Fort Hood Shooting Victims

  More Stories
Bomb Rocks Northwestern Pakistan
China Ready to Welcome President Obama  Video clip available
US Urges North Korea Not to Escalate Tensions in Yellow Sea
British PM Defends Military Mission in Afghanistan  Audio Clip Available
Tropical Storm Ida Downgraded; Moves Inland
IEA Urges Action on Climate Change
Somali Pirates Deny Arms Seizure  Audio Clip Available
Cross-Examination Begins in War Crimes Trial of Former Liberian President  Audio Clip Available
US Development of H1N1 Vaccine Hits Snag  Video clip available
Asia to Welcome President Obama  Video clip available
Obama Makes First China Tour as Economic Interdependence Grows  Audio Clip Available  Video clip available
APEC Marks 20 Years, Looks to Future of Regional Trade  Audio Clip Available
Clinton Urges 'Compassion' for Americans Detained in Iran  Audio Clip Available
World War II Museum Expansion Aims at Younger Generations  Audio Clip Available  Video clip available
North Carolina World War II Veterans Honored in Washington  Video clip available