Islamabad, September 8:

The Pakistani government is readying to arrest former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shahbaz when they return home from exile on Monday and could even

divert their aircraft to another city to prevent them from landing here.

“The government is still in the process of working out a plan to manage the crowd expected at Islamabad airport to greet them (Sharifs), which might get out of control on hearing the news of their arrest,” Dawn reported today, quoting sources.

The Sharif brothers would be arrested for their alleged involvement in three corruption cases filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), it added.

Government sources said arrest warrants for the Sharif brothers were likely to be

issued on Monday.

They said stringent security measures would be in place in Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Monday, with the authorities planning to block all roads and highways leading to Islamabad from Punjab and the North-West Frontier Province to stop Sharifs’ supporters from reaching the twin cities.

Meanwhile, Pakistani police detained hundreds of opposition workers today and banned rallies two days before former premier Nawaz Sharif was due to arrive home to challenge what he calls the “illegitimate rule” of President General Pervez Musharraf.

“More than 1,500 of our party leaders and workers have been picked up during the last three days in raids across the country,” said Ahsan Iqbal, the Information Secretary for Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) party.

About 300 PML-N workers were held by police in Rawalpindi alone, in a bid to thwart the plan.

The authorities have also imposed a ban on the assembly of five or more persons in public places in the Punjab province, where tens of thousands are expected to take to streets to greet Sharif.

The security forces will seal all the roads around Islamabad airport to prevent people from gathering there, a senior police official said.

The management of several government and private offices have announced a public holiday on Monday, amid fears of clashes between law enforcers and opposition workers as the government is planning to arrest Sharif at the airport.

Call to shelve homecoming:

ISLAMABAD: Lebanese politician Saad Hariri and a senior Saudi official on Saturday urged Nawaz Sharif to defer his return to Pakistan next week for the sake of the country’s stability. Hariri, son of assassinated former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri, and Saudi intelligence chief Miqrin bin Abdul Aziz told a news conference that Sharif must honour the deal that sent him in to exile. “Nawaz Sharif must honour his commitment,” Harii said after a meeting with President Pervez Musharraf. “Such an agreement was made to facilitate and ensure the stability of Pakistan,” Hariri said.

“For the sake of the national interest of Pakistan we hope that he will honour and adhere to the terms of the agreement,” the Saudi intelligence chief added. — AFP