May 16, 2004

Whatever the determination of Mian Shahbaz Sharif, in the ultimate analysis he or his party will not gain much from his Pakistan trip. Apparently, now it will be more difficult for any member of the Sharif family to leave Saudi Arabia, no matter how genuine the reason

MIAN Shahbaz Sharif had been making preparations to return to Pakistan for the past several weeks, in defiance of the agreement under which 18 members of the Sharif family were exiled to Saudi Arabia on December 10, 2000. He was coming back to uproot the deep-rooted exploitative system in a country ruled by his elder brother Mian Nawaz Sharif twice — from 1990-1993 and then from 1997-1999. But, what he did not know that he would only hardly get a 100-minute stay in Pakistan, too short a time to accomplish such a gigantic task.

In the all Economy-class flight to Lahore, Shahbaz was seated in the front aisle seat. But as the aircraft entered Lahore airspace, he exchanged seats with his fellow passenger for the window seat, possibly to see if there was a window of opportunity open for him in the city which was once the stronghold of the Sharifs. Tears rolled down despite his best effort to hold them back. This was the airport that was not there when the Sharifs had left the country. Police commandos were all round and those who once provided him security and saluted him when he was the chief minister were present in the hundreds, only this time with a different attitude and objective.

Everything seemed different, including his own appearance. For a fraction of a second, Mian Shahbaz Sharif must have realized that it was the same incorrigible police whose culture he had failed to change despite his best effort as the Punjab CM from 1997-99.

Shortly before landing, a curtain partitioned the aircraft cabin, dividing the passengers into two sections. As the plane landed and the engines came to a halt, those in the rear section were asked to leave first while the VIP in the front section was told to wait. This gave an inclination to Shahbaz of what was to follow. He didn’t comply with the instruction and came out of the aircraft and kissed the land he had been away from for the past 40 months.

Escorted by commandos, he was immediately taken to a room where his travel documents were prepared for the very next flight to Saudi Arabia, where he did not want to be possibly because of the restrictions imposed on the exiled family. The only other thing carried out during his 100 minutes’ stay was his medical checkup.

On being told that he was being deported, Shahbaz said he was not in a position to travel any more as he had already been airborne for the last 18 hours (excluding the stay in UAE before taking the Lahore-bound flight). Doctors carried out his checkup and declared the man, affectionately called Tiger by his supporters on account of his agility, alacrity and smartness, fit for return to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A few hours later he was back in the holy land, surrounded by the Sharif family members, preparing a balance sheet of the gains and losses of his risky political journey to his homeland.

The banishment was inevitable. President Pervez Musharraf (also representing the Pakistan Army), Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali, ruling party chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and interior minister, Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat, have repeatedly said that no member of the Sharif family can enter Pakistan before the end of 2010, when the banishment accord expires. This means that in the meantime, if Mian Shahbaz Sharif came and stayed in Pakistan, the four people who are the highest decision makers on such matters, would face a lot of embarrassment.

Ruling party sources also said on many an occasion that if Shahbaz ever landed in Pakistan, a special plane would take him back to Saudi Arabia, where he will have to face the restrictions other members of the Sharif family have been living under since December 2000.

The PML-N leaders were aware of what would happen on May 11. One senior leader had told reporters in confidence that Mian Shahbaz Sharif had been told by the Saudi authorities that in case he went to Pakistan in violation of the banishment accord and was deported, the Saudi government would never again allow any member of the Sharif family to leave the kingdom on any pretext during the validity of the accord.

The “Tiger” was adamant on returning to his homeland and to rub his heels in its sands to chart a new course for himself (a tentative translation of a couplet Shahbaz fondly recites to emphasise his resolve). Thus, it became a question of the prestige of a state and an individual. After deportation, the state did not lose face, though the status of the Supreme Court judgment, which allowed Mian Shahbaz Sharif to return to Pakistan and stay, is being discussed by all and sundry. Many argue that all people are equal in the eyes of the law and should be treated accordingly.

Though the PML-N leader says that the government has violated the SC judgment and they will move a contempt of court petition, there is little possibility that the apex court would be of any help. Shahbaz will not return, no matter what the SC verdict on the yet-to-be-moved petition.

Before embarking on his journey to Pakistan, Mian Shahbaz Sharif, in an open letter, asked the people of Pakistan that they, keeping in view his three-year exile, should judge whether he had any role in the exile decision which was enforced upon him and the entire Sharif family. Quoting Nelson Mandela, Shahbaz said, “Prisoners never make deals because they are not in a position to negotiate.”

He asked, “Is it not a contradiction that the military government forcibly exiled me and is now using its own illegal act as a pretext for shutting the doors of my homeland upon me?”

Shahbaz said he is a citizen of Pakistan and holds only one passport. “I am duly bound to stand up to anyone who denies my right of entering my birthplace. My daughters have lost four valuable years of education. They are Pakistanis and are to be married to Pakistanis. It is my duty to arrange their marriages and I have to do my duty.

“A false murder case, in which the FIR did not initially mention my name, is presently being heard in a trial court of Lahore, but I am not being allowed to enter Pakistan to appear before the court and defend myself against a charge as serious as murder. Now, the apex court has let me return observing that the petitioner (Shahbaz Sharif) is a citizen of Pakistan and it is his constitutional right to return to his country,” said Shahbaz. “I considered my oath to the office of the Punjab Chief Minister a sacred trust and remained firm to it even at the cost of annoying my political and personal friends. My service record has been excellent. I am committed to serve the people and I am also determined to change this environment,” said Shahbaz.

“During my surgery in New York, I feared I might no longer have an opportunity to serve my country. But Allah, in His infinite mercy, has given me another chance. I have devoted the rest of my life to make Pakistan a country as envisioned by its founder. I am returning home to contribute to the struggle and sacrifices of the party leader, Mian Nawaz Sharif. I have a mission to accomplish and I have no time to waste,” he added.

Whatever the determination of Mian Shahbaz Sharif, in the ultimate analysis he or his party will not gain much from his Pakistan trip. Apparently, now it will be more difficult for any member of the Sharif family to leave Saudi Arabia for a third country, no matter how genuine the reason. The Government of Pakistan has lost its confidence in the man for whom even Pervez Musharraf was said to have a soft corner (the externment of Shahbaz will bring an end to rumours that Musharraf can strike a deal with the former Punjab chief, keeping the rest of the family members aside). While many have already left the party, those who are left are unable to mobilize the masses. Those arrested by the police and implicated in various cases will now have to concentrate on proving their innocence rather than take part in party activities. The party, as a whole, will not be in a position to launch any movement against the government.

In the absence of Mian Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto, even the ARD is not in any position to create problems for the government, a matter of great satisfaction for the rulers.

Public utterances apart, there is little harmony between the PPP and the PML-N. They were rivals in the past and would remain so in the future. The PPP utilized the May 11 episode as a gauge of popular support of its ally in the ARD.

Many PML-N supporters argue that the Shahbaz’s return to Pakistan exposed the government’s claims that there was an agreement which prevented the Sharifs from coming to their country for 10 years. But there is also the counter-argument that why couldn’t the PML-N president stay in Pakistan if there was no agreement? The way Mian Shahbaz Sharif was asked to leave the country leaves no doubt that there is something which prevents the Sharifs from staying in Pakistan.

The May 11 incident has also brought the role of the Saudi government to light. A few weeks ago, Dawn had approached the Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan, Mr Al-Asseri, for comments on Shahbaz Sharif’s plan to come to Pakistan. In response, he said it was an internal matter of Pakistan and that the foreign office was in a better position to comment on it.

He was then asked if it meant that the Saudi government would have no objection to Mr Sharif’s plan to come to Pakistan. The ambassador hastily added that these words should not be attributed to him. The answers to the two questions were contradictory in substance and inadequate to explain the status of the agreement.

However, the situation became clear when a foreign news agency reported that the Saudi government took away the passports of the Sharif family only a day after the Mian Shahbaz Sharif landed back in Jeddah. These reports came following President Musharraf’s telephonic contact with Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz. This means that the agreement is there and the Saudi government will honour its obligations.

The Pakistan government has gained from the episode in the sense that it has been able to establish the credibility of its word. It had said Mian Shahbaz Sharif could not come and would be deported if he did. And it has succeeded in proving it. Shahbaz Sharif’s stay in Pakistan, though in prison, would have created many problems for the ruling party. Adept and quick in changing loyalties, many PML-Q leaders would have established contact with PML-N. The ruling party was aware of the nature of the “stalwarts” serving as pillar of the present system. It could not afford uncertainty at this stage. Now that the alternative is not there, the PML-Q followers would stay where they are and the government would be able to function smoothly.

By sending Mian Shahbaz Sharif back to Saudi Arabia, the government has also succeeded in sending a strong message to other leaders in exile. Mian Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto would not opt for such foolhardiness and prefer to wait for better times to come before returning home. Although the PPP claims that Ms Bhutto would be coming back to Pakistan during the current year, she would now think twice before taking such a decision.

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