Saudi Arabia asks Sharif to honour agreement

Saudi Arabia does not support Nawaz Sharifs plans to return to Pakistan, and wants him to stick to the agreement that he signed in the year 2000 with the Musharraf regime.

Lahore, Sep 5 : Saudi Arabia does not support Nawaz Sharif's plans to return to Pakistan, and wants him to stick to the agreement that he signed in the year 2000 with the Musharraf regime.

Geo TV quoted a Saudi Government spokesman as saying that Riyadh did not support Sharif's return to Pakistan.

Sharif and his family were offered asylum by Saudi Arabia on humanitarian grounds after General Pervez Musharraf had dismissed his government in a military coup in October 1999, the spokesman said.

The Musharraf regime accepted the offer because of Pakistan's cordial and relations with Saudi Arabia, he added.

He said Sharif should stick to the agreement to not to return to Pakistan or to participate in the country's politics for 10 years.

King Abdullah, after representations from Musharraf, has warned Sharif that if he returned to exile in Jeddah he would "enter a different Saudi Arabia," The Australian reported.

Sources said that while Sharif might be allowed back into Saudi Arabia, he would be treated as an unwelcome guest.

Sharif plans to return to Pakistan on September 10.

ANI