Nawaz Sharif should be here, any time, after about 36 hours. He was resolved to come, he reiterated Saturday. But can he cross the jinxes at the Islamabad airport on Monday, and proceed to his Raiwind home, as he has planned?
No body is taking a bet on this, except the man on the street, who think of him as one gifted with the lion's courage and say he will return. Even Benazir Bhutto-old rival but some time his friend- was heard taunting him on a local TV channel Saturday that Nawaz compromised under difficult situation and flew away to save his life.
But in Nawaz Sharif's hometown Lahore folks are waiting for him. 'Why shouldn't he come home,' asked a woman in a street of Lahore. Obviously, she must be his fan. Meanwhile, Nawaz's retainers at Raiwind go on mowing the lawn, and trimming the overgrown grass, and expect him to return.
In Islamabad and Rawalpindi, every body is in tenterhooks about his arrival, including President Musharraf, who had him convicted in the notorious aircraft high jacking case. President Musharraf then remitted his sentence and sent him on exile, after extracting some kind of promise that he would stay there for 10 years.
Lately, the President has asked Nawaz not to return, reminding him of a pledge that, Nawaz says, was dated for five years only. Nothing would prevent my landing at Islamabad, next Monday, reiterated Nawaz Sharif. He is expected to travel with an entourage of about 100 persons, including party mates, and media personnel.
All the people he intends to come with may not be on the same airplane. They might scatter and travel by various airlines. Presumably, Nawaz and his brother Shahbaz would also split and travel by different airlines. The government can not take the risk of Nawaz travelling in a cavalcade to attract crowds of 1000s or more to greet him at every stop.
That would cook up mass frenzy of the same kind as seen during the travels of the now restored Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. The government had cold feet after seeing the mass welcome the CJ was getting and did not dare take further action of ousting him. But the thought is being repeated because of some likely thinking mentioned in some quarters that the working term of CJ might be shortened to two years and half through a Constitutional amendment.
But, does the government have the votes for the amendment to go through they might have to wait until the agreement with the PPP is finalised. On balance, it is open to question whether the protesting lawyers would allow this to be done.
God knows, Nawaz Sharif would have plenty on his mind the next 24 hours before he boards the plane, as he is saying he would.
The government has hurled plenty of threats and also tried its best to stop him reaching Lahore in a cavalcade, as planned by Nawaz. The streets of Rawalpindi - Islamabad and other towns in the Punjab are dotted with stickers asking people to come and greet him when he arrives.
Whenever and wherever Shahbaz lands he should be arrested and produced in the court." Government might arrest Nawaz Sharif on return; since the Government has re-opened corruption cases against him and threatened to reinstate his life sentence.
There is a legal discussion going on whether that would not be a defiance of the Supreme Court's order that Nawaz had an inalienable right to return home, or whether a court sentence once remitted could be slapped on the same person, again. In addition, an anti-terrorism court judge ordered police on Friday to arrest PML-N leader Shahbaz Sharif on return.
The government has been banking on several foreign sources. Saudi Arabian Prince Miqrian bin Abdul Aziz has asked Nawaz Sharif to scrap plans to return to the country next week.
Influential politician of Lebanon Saad Hariri also emphasised on Nawaz to honour the promise. After meeting President Musharraf Saturday Prince Miqrian reiterated: "Nawaz Sharif must honour his commitment, but if he is sent back from Pakistan Saudi Arabia would host him again.