Sharif to return as Commonwealth suspends Pakistan

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Sharif to return as Commonwealth suspends Pakistan
Fri Nov 23, 2007 12:10am EST

By Zeeshan Haider

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Former prime minister Nawaz
Sharif, the man President Pervez Musharraf deposed,
is set to return to Pakistan within days, an aide
said on Friday.

Overnight the Commonwealth suspended Pakistan's
membership of the grouping of mostly former British
colonies, in a move that underlined the pressure
General Musharraf has been under since imposing
emergency rule three weeks ago.

Sharif was due to meet Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah
on Friday in Riyadh, just days after Musharraf paid
a surprise visit to the monarch amid speculation he
was reaching out to his opponent to shore up his
support base ahead of a January 8 general election.

-snip-

However it was not immediately clear whether Sharif,
whom Musharraf deposed in a bloodless 1999 coup,
would get back before November 26, the last date
for filing election nominations, and so be able to
run for parliament.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSL0630141120071123