The chief of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and his family plan to return to Pakistan by the end of November after spending Ramazan in Saudi Arabia, the Daily Times newspaper said on Friday.
The former prime minister held a meeting with his family members before the Supreme Court gave a ruling on his petition and it was decided that the Sharif family would first go to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah and spend the last two weeks of Ramazan in Mecca, the daily said quoting sources.
They would also call on the Saudi royal family to thank them for their hospitality. Another report in The Post daily said the family planned to send Shahbaz Sharif, the younger brother of the former prime minister, first in order to build up support inside the country before the arrival of PML-N chief.
However, the final decision on the Sharif family's return to Pakistan would be taken in the PML-N central executive committee meeting likely to be held in London in the first week of September.
A seven-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry gave the unanimous landmark verdict on Thursday paving the way for the return of the former prime minister to participate in the upcoming Parliamentary elections.
The court gave similar relief to Sharif's brother Shabaz who had also sought the court's intervention.
The Sharif brothers were sent in exile to Saudi Arabia one year after he was ousted by the Army Chief General Pervez Musharraf in a bloodless coup in October 1999.
"The Sharifs can return to Pakistan unhindered," Justice Chaudhry said in his judgement. "They had an inalienable right to return and remain in the country as citizens of Pakistan."
"Their safe return/entry into the country will not be restricted, hampered or obstructed by the federal governments or provincial governments or any other agencies in any manner," Chaudhry added.
Sharif, who is currently in London, hailed the verdict telling newsmen "It is a victory for democracy, rule of law and a defeat for the dictatorship." The deposed prime minister said he wanted to return to Pakistan "as soon as possible" and that a decision would be taken by his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party and other allies.
Speaking at a Television programme on Thursday, Musharraf said Sharif can return home claiming he had gone into exile on his own choice. Sharif is the head of a political party and can lead his party to elections, the General said.
