Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif smiles during an interview with Reuters in London August 23, 2007. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

    ISLAMABAD, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's Supreme Court on Thursday said in a verdict that the exiled former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif could return to the country and to take part in the forthcoming parliamentary elections.

    "For reasons to be recorded separately, both the captioned petitions, being maintainable, are accepted. It is declared that Mian Nawaz Sharif and Mian Shahbaz Sharif, under article 15 of the constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973, have inalienable right to enter and remain in country, as citizens of Pakistan," a short order of judgment made by a 7-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said.

    "Their such return or entry into country shall not be restrained, hampered or obstructed by the federal or provincial government agencies, in any manner," the order said.

    Chaudhry said on Aug. 16 that Nawaz Sharif's brother Shahbaz Sharif, president of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), was allowed to return to Pakistan after the supreme court heard his petition.

Supporters of deposed Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif raise their hands as they hold portraits of their leader during celebrations in Karachi.  (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

    PML-N filed two constitutional petitions at the beginning of August in the Supreme Court. According to the petitions, PML-N requested the federation should neither obstruct the return of Sharif family members from exile nor stop them from participating in the next general elections.

    Earlier this month, President General Pervez Musharraf said that former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif should not return home until after the forthcoming general elections in the country, according to local media reports.

    Nawaz Sharif was twice elected as Prime Minister of Pakistan and served two non-consecutive terms. He was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2000 on charges of hijacking and terrorism after General Pervez Musharraf staged a bloodless coup in the country. The Pakistani government agreed to commute his sentence from life in prison to exile in Saudi Arabia. His family moved with him.

Ousted Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif waves as he leaves an anti-terrorist court in Karachi in this November 26, 1999 file photo.  (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

    Exiled former Pakistani PM allowed to return

    ISLAMABAD, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf said here on Thursday that the exiled former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif could return home.

    Musharraf made the remarks when speaking to a representative gathering at Aiwan-e-Sadr, which meant the President's house in Pakistan, in the capital Islamabad on Thursday.