Editorial
Musharraf's plans for Nawaz Sharif
Pak president must not embarrass himself again
General Pervez Musharraf clearly refuses to see the writing on the wall. Despite the battering he has been getting in recent months, especially over his decision in March to sack Pakistan's chief justice, he remains unwilling to acknowledge his role in the making of his troubles. The fact that Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was re-instated by the Supreme Court was a sign of the new difficulties the president would soon face. And they came soon enough. The judiciary swiftly released an arch Musharraf foe, Javed Hashmi, from what could have been a long spell in jail had the military ruler had his way. And then the court went for another landmark decision, this time to rule that exiled former prime minister Nawaz Sharif could return to Pakistan. Mr. Sharif quickly made it known that he planned to fly back home at the earliest.
Now President Musharraf has caused new consternation all around. He has publicly announced his intention not to allow Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shahbaz Sharif to land in Pakistan. But what if they do turn up? The general has a simple, almost outrageous answer to such a question. He says in that case they will either be placed under arrest or sent back into exile in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Arabia factor appears to be working with Musharraf since it is his contention that the former prime minister had made a deal with him to stay out of Pakistan and in Saudi Arabia for ten years. According to Musharraf, therefore, by coming back home Sharif will be reneging on the deal. It is this attitude of the president that is worrying. He is keen on emphasising a deal that Sharif obviously made under duress, at a time when the latter had already been ousted in a coup. But he is oblivious to the thought that through taking such a position he is holding the Supreme Court in contempt. If he does try to prevent the Sharif brothers from returning home, it is quite likely that the judiciary will move again, this time to discipline him. It has already said that the deposed prime minister should not be prevented from returning to Pakistan.
President Musharraf must not place himself in an odd situation once again. In plain and simple terms, he should realise that a Supreme Court ruling holds considerably more value than an 'undertaking' by Sharif to stay in Saudi Arabia for ten years.
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