September 05, 2007	Wednesday	Sha'aban 22, 1428

RIYADH, Sept 4: Saudi Arabia has warned former prime minister Nawaz Sharif that he will not be welcome back in the kingdom if he returns to Pakistan, a report by Bruce Loudon and Bronwen Maddox in The Australian said on Tuesday.

The report said Saudi King Abdullah, after representations from Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, had warned Mr Sharif that if he was exiled again he would “enter a different Saudi Arabia”.

Quoting ‘sources’, the newspaper said that while Mr Sharif might be allowed back into Saudi Arabia he would be treated as an unwelcome guest.

Although it is virtually impossible to get the report locally confirmed, most observers feel it should not be dismissed as ‘out of question’.

It is difficult to gauge if Saudis are unhappy over the Sharifs’ plan to return to Pakistan, but most analysts admit that in view of the tribal traditions of the Saudi society commitments mean a lot here.

An indication of the Saudi annoyance with the Sharifs was apparent when the remaining members of the family were asked to vacate the Suroor Palace in Jeddah at short notice, once it became evident that the Sharifs did not intend to come back to Saudi Arabia as per their understanding with the Saudi royal family.