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LONDON - Nawaz Sharif, the exiled former prime minister of Pakistan, has boarded a flight from London to Islamabad, heading towards a showdown with President Pervez Musharraf, who has threatened him with arrest.
Sharif boarded the Pakistan International Airlines flight PK-786 to Islamabad at London's Heathrow airport on Sunday local time, said a Reuters reporter who was also on the flight.
Sharif, who was overthrown by Musharraf in a 1999 coup, is hoping to capitalise on public unrest at home and end the military leader's rule - despite an appeal from Saudi Arabia to stay away for the sake of stability.
"I'm feeling great," Sharif told reporters as he prepared to get on the plane. Uniformed British police escorted him through a crowd of supporters on his way to the flight.
"I have a duty, I have a responsibility to fulfil at all costs and that is democracy," he added.
Pakistani authorities have tightened security at Islamabad's airport and have detained more than 2000 of Sharif's supporters.
Sharif plans to lead a procession the 300 km from Islamabad to Lahore, the capital of Punjab province, and is expected to draw huge crowds - the last thing Musharraf wants as he prepares to try to secure another term in a presidential election.
Musharraf sent Sharif to Saudi Arabia in 2000 as part of what the government says was an agreement that Sharif would stay in exile for 10 years. In return he avoided a life sentence on hijacking and corruption charges.
The Supreme Court said last month that Sharif had the right to return and the government should not try to stop him.
The flight is scheduled to arrive in Islamabad at around 0740 local time (0240 GMT) on Monday.
- REUTERS
