Saudi intelligence chief Prince Muqrin bin Abdul Aziz Saturday urged former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to honor his exile agreement and not to return to Pakistan before completing 10 years.
Vowing to end the current government of President General Pervez Musharraf, Nawaz Sharif, leader of opposition party Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) had announced to return to Pakistan on Sept. 10 after the country's Supreme Court ruled that he can return on Aug. 23.
Prince Muqrin and Saad Hariri, the son of a former Lebanese prime minister, who has reportedly advised Nawaz Sharif not to return to Pakistan, Saturday met Musharraf to discuss about the situation arising from Sharif's announcement to return.
Earlier some reports quoted a Saudi government spokesman as saying that Nawaz Sharif has been asked not to return to Pakistan. But it seemed that Nawaz Sharif insisted that he would come back as scheduled.
The Pakistani government said that Saudi and Lebanese influential personalities were among those who had brokered a deal between Sharif and Musharraf in 2000 when Sharif was sent into exile to Saudi Arabia to evade his life imprisonment in Pakistan.
Sharif served twice as prime minister of Pakistan in 1990s and his government was dismissed by army chief Musharraf in 1999.
Officials said Sharif had agreed to remain abroad for ten years and not to take part in politics for the same period. However, Sharif denied he had any such agreement with the Pakistani government but said that he had an understanding with Saudi Arabia.
"With regard to the agreement with His Excellency Nawaz Sharif, I want to make it clear that such agreement was made to facilitate and ensure the stability of Pakistan," Prince Muqrin told reporters after his meeting with President Musharraf in Rawalpindi, the garrison city close to Islamabad.
"The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques helped the Sharif family to get out of imprisonment under such agreement," the Prince said.
"The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques hopes for the sake of the National Interest of Pakistan that all parties concerned with the agreement will honor adhere to the terms of the agreement," he said in a written statement, distributed among reporters at the press conference.
The Pakistani government has re-opened corruption and other cases against Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shahbaz Sharif, also a politician, in a bid to stop him returning Pakistan.
An anti-terrorism court issued warrants for the arrest of Shahbaz Sharif in connection with the killing of five youth in 1989, when he was the Chief Minister of Punjab province.
Muqrin said that the Custodian of Two Holy Mosques considers the stability and security of Pakistan as the stability and security of Saudi Arabia.
"I have come to my second home Pakistan to meet His Excellency President Musharraf and to convey to H.E. President and the people of Pakistan our concern about the recent development that may affect the stability of Pakistan," the Prince said.
He hoped that the concerned parties would put the national interest and the stability of Pakistan above any personal interest.
"As we are all well aware of the challenges that are facing the Muslim Ummah in general and Pakistan in particular, there is a greater need of unity and wisdom," he said.
Government officials warned that Nawaz Sharif if back would be treated according to law.
An alleged joint action of opposition groups, who would receive Sharifs on Monday at the Islamabad Airport, warned the government of countrywide clashes if Sharifs were arrested on their return.
It is believed that Sharif's return will further complicate the current pre-election situation in Pakistan and pose challenge to the Musharraf camp.
Musharraf came into power in a 1999 bloodless coup against Sharif's government and his current presidential term will expire in mid November this year.
Seeking a new five-year presidential term in the coming elections due later this year, Musharraf is reportedly involved in a dialogue with another exiled former Pakistani leader Benazir Bhutto about a possible "power-sharing deal" in the coming elections.
Benazir Bhutto, Chairperson of Pakistan People's Party, a major opposition party with alleged highest popularity, served twice as prime minister of Pakistan in late 1980s and mid-1990s, went into a self-imposed exile in 1999 to evade corruption charges against herself and her family.
Source: Xinhua
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