Memon rules out Shahbaz return

The military government declared yesterday that Pakistan Muslim League president Shahbaz Sharif would not be allowed to enter the country while former prime minister Benazir Bhutto could come back but would be arrested.

Information Minister Nisar Memon issued the statement, which marks the first clearest indication of how the government plans to deal with the Sharifs and Benazir if they return to the country.

President General Pervez Musharraf has repeatedly vowed to keep the Sharifs and Benazir out of national politics. He has promulgated rules that effectively disqualify them from contesting the October 10 elections.

Memon said Shahbaz had violated Saudi Arabia's law by making political statements from Jeddah, and Riyadh would take necessary action against this breach.

"He (Shahbaz) has gone to Saudi Arabia along with about 25 other members of the Sharif family under an arrangement made on their request for a period of 10 years."Therefore the question of anybody's return from that country simply does not arise," Memon said.

In case Shahbaz chooses to return to Pakistan violating the arrangement he "would not be allowed to enter the country".

Memon pointed out that sometime back Shahbaz's wife had come to Pakistan but was immediately returned to Saudi Arabia.

With regard to Benazir Bhutto the minister said that she had gone abroad in self exile and thus could return to Pakistan any time.

"She went out with the permission of the court. But subsequently did not appear in the court proceedings despite its summons and thus has been declared convicted by the court."

He said if Benazir opted to return to the country she "will be arrested and proceeded against in accordance with the law of the land".

Memon said Shahbaz was among the accused in two cases of money laundering and loan default pending against the Sharif family.

In the Hudaiba Mills case alone, the Sharif family faces a loan default of Rs1.7 billion and before their exile in December 2000 the family had pledged part of their properties with the government, he said.

The minister said political activities were not allowed in Saudi Arabia according to its law, but recent statements of Shahbaz emanating from that country showed that he was violating the Saudi law. The Saudi government would take notice and action accordingly, the minister said.

He said Shahbaz had apparently made the statements "in desperation to secure political survival".

Memon said the government hoped that "this categorical announcement would set all rumours regarding Shahbaz's return to rest".

Shahbaz has said he was forced to leave Pakistan against his will and subjected to "emotional blackmail" as he was told that his ailing father and other members of the family would not be allowed to leave without him.

Speaking in an ARY Television telephonic interview from Jeddah, he challenged General Musharraf to visit Holy Ka'aba with him and "let us both declare our positions" within the precincts of the most sacred place on earth.

Former president Mohammed Rafiq Tarar, also speaking in a similar interview on ARY on Wednesday, said he had remitted the prison sentence of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on the advice of then chief executive Musharraf.

Tarar, whom Musharraf replaced in June 2001, said he was not aware of any deal under which the Sharif family left the country in December 2000.

Meanwhile, the PML(N) yesterday denied government claims that its family signed an agreement to stay out of politics and remaining exile for 10 years.

A top Pakistani official has said the Sharif family including Nawaz's younger brother Shahbaz signed papers in December 2000 agreeing to avoid politics and remain in exile in Saudi Arabia for 10 years.

Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider and military spokesman Major General Rashid Qureshi were quoted in newspapers yesterday as saying that Shahbaz had agreed neither he nor any other of 17 exiled Sharif family members would return to Pakistan before 2010.

"Under the special arrangement no member of the Sharif family can come back to Pakistan for 10 years," Qureshi told The Nation.

The PML said the Sharif family was forced by emotional blackmail to leave Pakistan to allow their father Mohammed Sharif (Abbaji) to seek treatment overseas for a serious heart condition.

"There was an application for getting Abbaji treated abroad. That application was signed by Nawaz, Shahbaz, Abbas (another brother) and Hussain, Nawaz's son," PML spokesman Siddiqul Farooq said.

"For that application thenChief Exectuvie Pervez Musharraf then president Rafiq Tarar to waive the imprisonment of Nawaz.

But Musharraf only agreed to allow the father to travel abroad for treatment if all left Pakistan, Farooq said.

Shahbaz Sharif was also forced to sign papers requesting pardon for alleged money laundering and defaulting on loans, he added.

"It was emotional blackmail. If you do not sign these papers your father will not be allowed to go abroad for medical treatement," Farooq said.

The government's claim that Shahbaz is not allowed to return home threw his bid to lead the PML in October polls in dounbt.

Farooq said Shahbaz "may not return" from Saudi Araba in time for October elections because the party has been informed that all Pakistan airports and intelligence agencies had been instructed to turn back any aircraft carrying Nawaz or Shahbaz.

The National Accountability Bureau Prosecutor General Raja refused to say whether Shahbaz would be arrested on his return. "We can only answer this once he comes back. The law will take its course," Bashir said.