Islamabad (AsiaNews/Agencies) – After seven years in exile, the former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, thrown out of the country by President Musharraf in the aftermath of the 1999 military coup, can return home. The country’s Supreme Court passed the ruling today extending it to the politician’s brother, in exile since 2000.
The sentence was read by the Court president, Judge Iftikhar Chaundry, a well known opposer of the current government, who has only recently returned to his post after weeks of house arrest ordered by Musharraf.
The Sharif brothers underlined Chaundry, “can return to Pakistan unhindered. They have an inalienable right to come back and stay in the country.” Up until now both had been living in exile in London, from were they expressed their reaction to the verdict “a victory for democracy and a defeat for dictatorship”.
Several hundred supporters danced and sacrificed two goats outside the court after the verdict was announced, chanting "Go Musharraf, go" and "Musharraf is a dog”. Nawaz Sharif, who is still officially the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League, has yet to decide whether to candidate himself for the upcoming presidential elections, but he has announced that he will “do everything possible” to contest Musharraf.
