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| Pakistan deports ex-PM on return | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has been arrested and deported within hours of returning from exile. | |
| After landing in Islamabad he was charged and put on board a plane bound for Saudi Arabia, Religious Affairs Minister Ejaz ul-Haq told BBC News. | |
| Mr Sharif says he wants to challenge President Pervez Musharraf, who ousted him in a 1999 coup, ahead of elections. | Mr Sharif says he wants to challenge President Pervez Musharraf, who ousted him in a 1999 coup, ahead of elections. |
| Mr Sharif arrived in Pakistan weeks after the country's Supreme Court affirmed his right to return. | |
| On board the plane which flew him to Pakistan from London, Mr Sharif told the BBC he wanted to help restore the rule of law. | |
| "It's democracy versus dictatorship," he said. | "It's democracy versus dictatorship," he said. |
| I have a duty, I have a responsibility, I have a national obligation to fulfil at all costs and that is democracy Nawaz Sharif In pictures: Sharif's return Preparing for confrontation Send us your comments | I have a duty, I have a responsibility, I have a national obligation to fulfil at all costs and that is democracy Nawaz Sharif In pictures: Sharif's return Preparing for confrontation Send us your comments |
| Once the plane arrived in Islamabad, paramilitary troops surrounded it and there was a stand-off on board as Mr Sharif refused to hand over his passport to immigration officials for nearly two hours. | Once the plane arrived in Islamabad, paramilitary troops surrounded it and there was a stand-off on board as Mr Sharif refused to hand over his passport to immigration officials for nearly two hours. |
| Eventually he agreed to leave the plane and was escorted to the airport's VIP lounge. | Eventually he agreed to leave the plane and was escorted to the airport's VIP lounge. |
| But shortly afterwards, he was separated from his entourage, returned to the tarmac and put on board a helicopter. Later, he was transferred to a plane bound for Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. | |
| Officials said he had been charged with money-laundering and corruption. | |
| Large numbers of police had set up barricades on roads to prevent Mr Sharif's supporters from reaching the airport, while all domestic flights from Islamabad on Monday were listed as cancelled. | Large numbers of police had set up barricades on roads to prevent Mr Sharif's supporters from reaching the airport, while all domestic flights from Islamabad on Monday were listed as cancelled. |
| Plans abandoned | Plans abandoned |
| There were reports of clashes between police and crowds of Mr Sharif's supporters in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and Attok, where shots were fired and several people were said to have been injured. | There were reports of clashes between police and crowds of Mr Sharif's supporters in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and Attok, where shots were fired and several people were said to have been injured. |
| One worker from Mr Sharif's Muslim League party (PML-N) told the BBC he and about 20 others had been badly beaten by police outside the airport. | One worker from Mr Sharif's Muslim League party (PML-N) told the BBC he and about 20 others had been badly beaten by police outside the airport. |
| KEY DATES 14 Sept: Date Ex-PM Benazir Bhutto will announce details of her homecoming15 Sep-15 Oct: Timeframe Gen Musharraf has set for his re-election as president by parliamentOctober: Parliament expires and general election must be held Bhutto's extraordinary career Q&A: Political crisis | KEY DATES 14 Sept: Date Ex-PM Benazir Bhutto will announce details of her homecoming15 Sep-15 Oct: Timeframe Gen Musharraf has set for his re-election as president by parliamentOctober: Parliament expires and general election must be held Bhutto's extraordinary career Q&A: Political crisis |
| On Sunday, the party said more than 2,000 supporters had been arrested by the Pakistan authorities, while almost its entire leadership had been detained. | On Sunday, the party said more than 2,000 supporters had been arrested by the Pakistan authorities, while almost its entire leadership had been detained. |
| Supporters planned to launch a legal challenge to the deportation, which was "a violation of the court order under which Nawaz Sharif was allowed to arrive and stay in Pakistan," his aide, Sadique ul-Farooq, told the Associated Press. | Supporters planned to launch a legal challenge to the deportation, which was "a violation of the court order under which Nawaz Sharif was allowed to arrive and stay in Pakistan," his aide, Sadique ul-Farooq, told the Associated Press. |
| The religious affairs minister said the government believed it was acting in accordance with the Supreme Court ruling. | |
| Mr Sharif was exiled to Saudi Arabia in 2000 after being deposed, under what the government says was an agreement that he stay in exile for 10 years. | Mr Sharif was exiled to Saudi Arabia in 2000 after being deposed, under what the government says was an agreement that he stay in exile for 10 years. |
| The former prime minister has denied there was ever such a deal. | The former prime minister has denied there was ever such a deal. |
| The European Union Commission issued a statement saying Mr Sharif should be allowed to defend himself against court charges in Pakistan. | |
| "In our view the Supreme Court's ruling is very clear and should be respected," said a spokeswoman. | |
| Political crisis | |
| Mr Sharif had planned to lead a triumphal motorcade from Islamabad to Lahore, his political power base, but he was aware he might not be allowed the opportunity. | Mr Sharif had planned to lead a triumphal motorcade from Islamabad to Lahore, his political power base, but he was aware he might not be allowed the opportunity. |
| He decided at the last moment to leave his brother Shahbaz, also a politician, behind in the UK "to hold the fort" in case he were jailed or deported. | He decided at the last moment to leave his brother Shahbaz, also a politician, behind in the UK "to hold the fort" in case he were jailed or deported. |
| Mr Musharraf has made no secret of his contempt for Mr Sharif, describing him as corrupt and incompetent. | Mr Musharraf has made no secret of his contempt for Mr Sharif, describing him as corrupt and incompetent. |
| But for the army, a decision to arrest him is as much a political as a legal decision, says the BBC's M Ilyas Khan. | But for the army, a decision to arrest him is as much a political as a legal decision, says the BBC's M Ilyas Khan. |
| The military does not want to make Mr Sharif into a political martyr but it also does not want to see him campaigning for power, he says. | The military does not want to make Mr Sharif into a political martyr but it also does not want to see him campaigning for power, he says. |
| Gen Musharraf has been struggling to contain protests that have grown in strength since he tried to remove the head of the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. | |
| The president plans to seek a new five-year term in office in an election due in the next month. | The president plans to seek a new five-year term in office in an election due in the next month. |