Pakistan

Pakistan reinstates opposition leader Sharif and his brother

Article published on the 2009-03-31 Latest update 2009-03-31 11:54 TU

Asif Ali Zardari, president of Pakistan (L) and Nawaz Sharif, leader of PML-N (R).
(Photos: Reuters/AFP)

The government of Pakistan has repealed a ban on opposition leader Nawaz Sharif. His brother Shahbaz, was also reinstated as chief minister of the Punjab and his party allowed to resume work.

The Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) once again resumed control in Punjab, Pakistan’s most politically important region with Sharif’s brother Shahbaz Sharif as Chief Minister.

Central government rule was lifted on Monday, the same day a siege at a Punjab police academy left eight people dead.

The Punjab region controls more than 60 per cent of parliament and this move is likely to ease political tensions in the whole country.
 
Both brothers had been banned from contesting elections and holding office since 25 February, when President Asif Ali Zardari put one of his allies in power and effectively centralised government of the region. That decision sparked mass protests and arrests across the nation.
 
The Pakistani government also re-instated chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudry, a key demand of Sharif.

The promise to reinstate Chaudry was made on 17 March, causing Sharif to call off a mass protest march on Islamabad.