The Hindu : Pak. bid to deport Sharif's kin stalled

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 29, 2003

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Pak. bid to deport Sharif's kin stalled

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD JUNE 28. The Pakistan Government today made an abortive attempt to deport to Saudi Arabia the wife and two daughters of the exiled Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz president and former Punjab Chief Minister, Shahbaz Sharif. Thanks to a court intervention they have been saved for the time being.

The Government's case is that they were allowed to return to Pakistan from Saudi Arabia on "humanitarian grounds" on April 5.

The former Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, and his entire clan had gone on exile in December 2000 after a "deal" with the Pervez Musharraf Government. While the administration claims that they can neither dabble in Pakistani politics nor return to Pakistan for a period of 10 years, it is disputed by the Nawaz family.

The family of Shabaz Sharif had come to Lahore on the plea that their daughters were to be engaged in the city. The Pakistan Interior Minister, Faisal Saleh Hayat, maintained that though several weeks had elapsed there had been no engagement and the Government had little option but to send them back to Saudi Arabia.

On Friday there were efforts to persuade the authorities to revert the decision but the Government did not relent. That left the family with little option but to go to court.

On Friday evening, dozens of policemen were deployed at the Model Town residence of the parents of Begum Shahbaz Sharif, blocking an entire H-Block lane, where houses of uncles and cousins of the Sharifs are located.

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