Saudi Arabia, Lebanon ask Sharif to quit plans to return
Islamabad, Sept. 8 (PTI): Saudi Arabia and Lebanon today intensified pressure on former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to give up his plans to return to Pakistan on Monday and honour the deal brokered by them after the 1999 coup.
Saad Hariri, the son of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, and a special envoy of Saudi king, Maqruin bin Abdul Aziz, meet President Pervez Musharraf after which they publicly reminded Sharif about the "agreement" he struck to stay out of Pakistan for 10 years in return for his exile to Jeddah in 2001 and asked him not to violate it.
"The agreement made with the custodian of the holy mosques (an official reference to Saudi King) should be honoured," Hariri told reporters after their three-hour meeting with Musharraf where they discussed Sharif's plans.
Hariri, who met Sharif yesterday but failed to convince him to abort his plans, said "We are trying to convince him not to (return) do so. I can assure you that Saudi Arabia truly cares about Pakistan and its security and the agreement should be honoured."
He hinted that he might meet Sharif again in London to make a last ditch attempt to persuade him.
Replying to a question on the possible consequences of Sharif violating the agreement, Saudi Prince Aziz said "I think he knows and the President knows it and most of the people of Pakistan know it."
Aziz, who is Saudi intelligence chief, said the Saudi King "had helped Sharif and his family to get out of imprisonment" under the agreement which was made to "ensure the safety and stability of Pakistan".
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