Commandos welcome Sharif to Pakistan

Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, one of President Pervez Musharraf’s bitterest political enemies, stepped onto Pakistani soil today for the first time in seven years.

Black-clad commandos boarded his plane soon after it touched down at Islamabad’s airport, setting off a 90-minute standoff. Sharif was allowed to leave the aircraft with several supporters, but it remained unclear whether he would be arrested, deported or allowed to remain in the country.

Regardless of the outcome, his arrival marks a dramatic rise in political tensions in Pakistan, a key U.S. ally in the war in Afghanistan.

Long before the Pakistan International Airlines plane landed under hazy skies -- three hours ahead of schedule -- police erected roadblocks around the capital’s airport and detained hundreds of Sharif’s supporters. Several senior party leaders were detained or placed under house arrest early Monday.

The return of Sharif, an opposition figure who has emerged as the leading rival of the beleaguered Musharraf, may open a violent new chapter in Pakistan’s ongoing political turmoil. Even before the plane landed, Sharif supporters threw rocks and clashed near the airport with police, who responded with volleys of tear gas.

Musharraf’s government had urged Sharif to stay away, despite a Supreme Court ruling in July that the former prime minister had the right to return.

Sharif was overthrown by Musharraf, an army general, in 1999 and had promised to remain in exile in Saudi Arabia for 10 years to avoid serving a life sentence on corruption and treason charges. His camp says that pledge was made under duress.

Sharif’s return hands Musharraf several unpalatable options. If he has him arrested, or deports him, it could set off a wave of mass protests.

Sharif’s backers say they intend to welcome him with rallies all along his planned route to Lahore, his main power base.

Officials in Sharif’s party say up to 2,000 party activists have been detained by police in the last few days, with more roundups Sunday. Authorities said they were holding about 500 “troublemakers.”

Earlier Sunday, Sharif told the private GEO satellite television channel that he was determined to return despite the risks.

“I am doing this for Pakistan,” he said.

He and another former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, say they want to lead their parties in parliamentary elections that are scheduled to be held by early next year. Bhutto, who is in self-imposed exile, has been in talks with Musharraf on a power-sharing accord.

Musharraf’s popularity plunged this year after he attempted to fire the independent-minded chief justice, Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry.

He has said he would seek to extend his mandate with a vote on another five-year term by outgoing provincial and national assemblies in the coming month, despite opposition demands that the general give up his post as head of the military before doing so.

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laura.king@latimes.com