Riyadh keen to send Sharif back to Pakistan to stem anti-Saudi feelings

In their attempt to stem the growing anti-Saudi feelings in Pakistan, authorities in Saudi Arabia are drawing a strategy to send former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to his home country before the elections scheduled for January 8 next year.

Islamabad, Nov 21 : In their attempt to stem the growing anti-Saudi feelings in Pakistan, authorities in Saudi Arabia are drawing a strategy to send former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to his home country before the elections scheduled for January 8 next year.

Riyadh is worried with the fact that a majority of Pakistanis feel that Saudis had helped President General Pervez Musharraf to deport Sharif to Jeddah.

Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Ali Awad Al Asseri who enjoys great respect in the political circles of the country, has been busy in damage control measures in Pakistan since September 10, the date on which Sharif was deported, The News quoted the sources, as saying.

The Ambassador is said to have comprehensively briefed Saudi King Abdullah about the changing political scenario in Pakistan.

The Saudis had put Islamabad under serious pressure to allow Sharif to return so that they could win back their lost credibility, sources said.

The Saudis are said to be afraid of the fact that Pakistanis, political parties and the media would once again ask troubling questions about their role, and before this happens, the Saudis want Musharraf to provide a level playing field to Sharif on par with Pakistan People's Party chairperson Benazir Bhutto.

ANI