January 6, 2002	Sunday	Shawwal 21, 1422

PESHAWAR, Jan 5: The NWFP government and PPP (Sherpao) are heading towards a showdown on Sunday over plans by supporters of former chief minister Aftab Sherpao to greet him upon his return from London.

The district Nazim Peshawar is expected to impose section 144 to outlaw the gathering of five or more people in the vicinity of East and West Cantonment police stations and University Town.

The former chief minister and leader of his own faction of the PPP is scheduled to end his self-exile on Sunday and return to the country to face corruption cases filed by the National Accountability Bureau.

Sherpao has been acquitted in one case, while in another case in which he is a co-accused, the court has sentenced him to three years imprisonment for failing to appear before it and issued perpetual warrants for arrest against him.

A senior government official told Dawn that NAB would arrest Sherpao immediately upon his arrival at Peshawar Airport.

Official sources said that Sherpao’s supporters would not be allowed to enter the limits of Peshawar and those violating or taking the law into their hands would be arrested.

The police in Sherpao’s native district Charsadda are also contemplating similar actions, where a senior police official has already communicated the message to Sherpao’s younger son and political heir, Sikandar Sherpao.

Sikandar, however, said that the party’s activists would take their chances and try and reach the airport to greet their leader.

Talking to newsmen here, Sikandar saw no justification for the enforcement of section 144 to stop party activists from assembling to welcome his father.

He said his father would turn himself over to the authorities on his own volition and therefore, the workers should mentally prepare themselves for this. “There will be no troubles,” he said. “I don’t think there will be any untoward incident.”

He said party workers would stage sit-in at various points in Peshawar if prevented from proceeding towards the airport.