Sharif comes, Sharif goes; what happens next?

THE BIG DEBATE: Rajdeep sardesai (L) discusses Nawaz Sharif's plans with Sharif's brother Shahbaz.

J & K | Chhattisgarh | Delhi | MP |
Mizoram | Rajasthan

Featured Blog

Rajdeep Sardesai

26/11: Terror comes precariously close

Featured Slideshows

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif landed in Pakistan after a seven year exile only to be sent back into exile once again by the President General Pervez Musharraf.

The combative PML-N leader was confined to the PIA aircraft for nearly 90 minutes after it touched down at the Islamabad International airport, arrested on corruption charges and soon whisked away to another plane and deported to Jeddah.

While round one may have gone to Musharraf, what next? Musharraf's legal and political options have shrunk and he's still no closer to his ultimate goal of staying the President of Pakistan for another five years.

According to the ‘Confidentiality and Hold Harmless’ agreement, Sharif will not engage in any business or political activities against the interest of Pakistan.

The former prime minister’s brother Shahbaz Sharif had also entered into an understanding with the Saudi Arabian government for staying out of Pakistan for a period of 10 years.

What lies next for the deported Pakistan prime minister? CNN-IBN’s Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai discussed the issue with Nawaz Sharif’s brother Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif on the special show Big News.

Where is Nawaz Sharif at the moment in Jeddah, what is his health like and how has he taken the events of the last week?

Answering the question Shahbaz said, ”Nawaz Sharif is in Jeddah. He was thrown out of Pakistan in a very unconstitutional fashion, packed up and bundled and smuggled out of country by Musharraf. The rest of the world cannot communicate with him except his family members.”

Is there a feeling now he is in exile? Can we say that he is under house arrest effectively in Jeddah because he appears to be getting very little support from Saudi authorities this time?

“I can’t say whether he is under house arrest or otherwise but what I can say that I have spoken to him and he is very angry the way Musharraf tried to send him out of Pakistan defying court’s decision. This amounts to contempt of court. Musharraf has really put the country again in total disaster, “ Shahbaz added.

What lies ahead then for Sharif? The fact is that he is likely to be in Saudi Arabia possibly for three more years given the 10-year exile period that he had. Is this the end of the road for Sharif?

“I think anybody who thinks that is sadly mistaken. Sharif is going to be back in Pakistan sooner rather than later. And we are fighting a legal battle in the apex court of Pakistan. We are fighting on the streets of Pakistan. Sharif has made it very clear that there was no understanding or no agreement with General Musharraf,” he said.

“If there was any understanding it was with Saudi and General Musharraf has no moral or legal right to question any such thing from Sharif because he has gone against the constitution. He has broken his oath as an army officer.”

Nawaz Sharif is isolated today, his party has been broken by Musharraf then how can he go back to Pakistan.

Shahbaz said, “To the contrary Sharif has own immense sympathy from the people of Pakistan. His vote bank is still at the highest point. Benazir is going back to Pakistan god knows how. She is welcome to go to Pakistan but if it’s an arrangement between her and Musharraf it will be heard at the most. ”

To read IBNLive stories on mobile, log on to m.ibnlive.com on your mobile browser