10/09/2007

Former Pakistani President To Be 'Deported'

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has been arrested and is to be deported only hours after returning to Pakistan from exile vowing to challenge President Pervez Musharraf.

Officials say Sharif was being arrested on money-laundering and corruption charges.

Mr Sharif's return from seven years in exile, most recently in London, was always going to spark a confrontation with General Musharraf, the army chief who ousted Sharif in 1999 and cast him into exile the following year.

As soon as his flight from London touched down Sharif refused to hand over his passport to officials for nearly two hours, prompting policemen to board the plane until he finally agreed to come out.

He was taken into protective custody and eventually put on board a helicopter and is believed to have been deported back to Saudi Arabia.

(CD/SP)

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