24 April 2004	Saturday	03 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

LAHORE, April 23: "He will." "He won't." Rival claims are being made by the PML-N and the ruling PML-Q, about the return home of the former Punjab chief minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif.

Staying in London for the past several months, the PML-N president has already completed consultations with the party's senior leaders, and chosen Lahore for landing on his arrival any day during the first 10 days of May.

A meeting of the party's central working committee has been called for April 28 in the city which will discuss the likely date for Mr Shahbaz's return and arrangements to receive him.

Party chairman Raja Zafarul Haq, who has called the meeting, will be conspicuous by his absence as he would be in Cairo that day to participate in an international conference.

With acting president Javed Hashmi already behind bars, the CWC meeting will be presided over by Secretary-General Saranjaam Khan. A legal committee would be set up to take measures in case Mian Shahbaz was arrested or deported, Mr Haq said.

Asked if the Saudi government had approached the former chief minister to remind him to abide by the agreement on the basis of which the Sharifs had been banished to the kingdom some 40 months back, the PML-N leader answered in the negative.

Mr Haq said this substantiated the view that there was no agreement the government referred to on various occasions. Had there been any, he argued, it would have presented the same to the Supreme Court when a petition about the return of the former chief minister was heard.

Some other party leaders say the number of people coming out to receive their leader on his return has little significance. The ruling PML-Q insists that utterances about Mian Shahbaz's plans are nothing more than hollow claims, which will stand exposed in the days to come.

They say that either the PML-N president will not come or he will be deported. 'Other options' would also be worked out according to the requirements of the situation, said an important leader.