LAHORE, Aug 23: The opposition parties have welcomed the Supreme Court’s verdict allowing the Sharifs to return home and take part in politics.

Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) president Qazi Husain Ahmed called it a just decision which, according to him, would strengthen democracy. He asked the Sharifs not to delay their plan to return to the country. He said upholding of the constitution and supremacy of law by the Supreme Court had increased confidence of the masses in the judiciary which was a good omen for the nation. He said Nawaz Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif and other exiled leaders should come back and join the masses in their struggle against army dictatorship and make it result-oriented.

Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan said his party had stood for constitutionalism and rule of law and the decision had endorsed the PTI’s stance.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) central information secretary Ahsan Iqbal and foreign affairs coordinator Muhammad Mehdi called the verdict a victory of the constitution and the law.

They said Nawaz Sharif would be in the country before presidential elections.

PML-N NWFP chief Sabir Shah said the decision proved that there was no room for dictatorship in Pakistan. He said the verdict would bar dictators from robbing Pakistanis of their rights. He said he would extend an invitation from the masses of his province to Nawaz Sharif to land at Peshawar airport.

Hamza Shahbaz, the son of PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif, said the Sharifs would decide in three weeks to return home. He said a meeting of the party would be held in London to decide timeframe for the purpose.

MMA vice-president Prof Sajid Mir said the religious alliance would warmly welcome the return of the Sharifs. He said it was high time that the forces looking for backdoors to enter power corridors should join hands with democratic parties to end the army dictatorship forever.