Inside Story of Nawaz's Cooked Up Return to Pakistan

Islamabad: To counter the European Union, especially the Britain, United States had to intervene at the highest levels of Pakistan and Saudi governments to ensure that Nawaz Sharif does not disrupt the negotiated power deal between Benazir Bhutto and Gen. Musharraf, learned The Frontier Post on good authority.

Highly placed diplomatic and political sources confirmed that following the August 23rd verdict of the Supreme Court to allow Nawaz Sharif to return to Pakistan, Americans had to activate their channels to block Nawaz Sharif’s entry into a newly controlled set-up of Pakistani politics.
Sources wishing anonymity revealed that Bush administration was tipped that EU and especially its closest partner in war on terrorism, Britain is in favour of launching Nawaz Sharif into Pakistani politics to disrupt the American stated and covert intentions of not only continuing but winning the war on terrorism through Musharraf by stabilizing him in power.
Deal between Gen. Musharraf and Benazir Bhutto has already been sealed, added the highly placed sources in Washington.
Entry of Nawaz Sharif at this critical juncture would have jolted the American plans and finally they had to send in under secretary of state for the region Richard Boucher to convey a clear message to Gen. Musharraf that toying with their plans might lead to NATO’s invasion of Pakistani tribal areas.

Despite hectic efforts on the part of Nawaz Sharif to woo Americans, he did not get any positive response but was rather advised by the American-backed Saad Hariri that he should better avoid going to Pakistan and stop dreaming about getting any share in power. He was told point blank that Americans do not see any future role for him in Pakistani politics in the foreseeable future.

Sources further added that Saudis were reluctant to poke their nose in Pakistani affairs because they prefer to remain behind the scene in any such wheeling dealings. But since the orders of the master were there therefore soon after Boucher’s visit to Islamabad in first week of September, not only Saad Hariri was flown to Islamabad but also the Saudi intelligence chief Prince Muqaran had to come and make a public appearance and was also brought before the media to ensure that Saudis are onboard with Americans.

Soon after the deportation of Nawaz Sharif, State department took no time in stating this as an internal matter of Pakistan by stressing that Americans are more focused on free and fair elections than these internal matters.
It is learnt from sources that once the Saudis landed into Pakistan, they also tried to have a meeting with the Chief Justice of Supreme Court Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhary but the later refused on the grounds that he did not want to be involved into this controversy.

However, finding the message from the Americans through Hariri, Nawaz Sharif was given the option of doing some face saving within his own party and was thus allowed to make a very trumpeted but brief return to Pakistan. Nawaz Sharif, on his part is learned to have not taken any of his party leader in confidence about such a message and fate of his return, informed the sources. On queries, sources said that Nawaz Sharif was asked not to leak this to anybody and if anybody knew about this it was Shahbaz Sharif, two sons of Nawaz and his wife Kalsoom.

Sources said that his departure was planned and he was asked to fly with Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) but to keep his workers and party happy he was allowed to play some games. Shahbaz Sharif and many journalists were asked to get boarding passes from Gulf airlines counter but just at the last minute Nawaz Sharif and his close aides and some media men were asked to get boarding passes from PK-786-- PIA flight bound for Islamabad and Shahbaz announced that he has been ordered by his brother not to accompany him to Pakistan.

Had he been sincere with his return, sources said that he would have landed in NWFP, where he was offered protocol by Maulana Fazalur Rehman or in his native city of Lahore, where he would have seen at-least some party workers at the airport. But, instead he preferred to land in Islamabad knowing that what is to unfold.

Sources said that Nawaz Sharif would continue to live in Jeddah and would not be allowed to come out of the country because his passport has also been taken away from him by Saudis as a guarantee. However, his family members would be allowed to come and see him if they want to but they too would not be allowed to fly back to UK, once they re-join Nawaz Sharif in Saudia, said the sources.

As for the political activities, sources said that Saudis are very strict about this and they would not allow Nawaz or Shahbaz to indulge in any kind of political activity from Saudi soil, until the pressure eases from Americans or a clear picture emerges in Pakistan.