KARACHI, Aug 17: Syed Ghaus Ali Shah, the Sindh president of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) and former chief minister of the province, returned here on Sunday to a warm welcome after seven years of self-exile in the United Kingdom.

Coming via Jeddah, he was received at the airport by Senior Minister Pir Mazharul Haq and Syed Bachal Shah of the Pakistan People’s Party, the Shirazi brothers of the PML-Q besides Sardar Rahim, Salim Zia, Ismail Rahu, Zain Ansari, Parveen Bashir and other PML-N leaders.

Strict security measures were in place at the airport, where heavy deployment of Rangers and police was seen. As he came out of the terminal in a procession of vehicles, the area echoed with the slogans of ‘Long live Nawaz Sharif’ and ‘Long live Ghaus Ali Shah.’ PML-N workers waved party flags and carried placards with portraits of party leaders.

At the Star Gate, where the PML-N labour wing had set up a welcome camp, Mr Shah made a brief speech. He announced that he would pay a visit to each and every district of the province from Kashmore to Karachi to reorganise the party and to carry forward the democratic mission of Nawaz Sharif and to mobilise the party workers to play their role in turning the country into a welfare state.

A retired judge of the Sindh High Court, Mr Shah expressed optimism about the restoration of the judiciary to the pre-November 3 position soon. He criticised the earlier detention of judges and said there was no precedent in the world of detaining judges and their family members.

Mr Shah paid tribute to those political workers who were killed “during the struggle for democracy.”

The procession, which started at 1pm at the airport, terminated at his residence in Clifton at 5.30pm.

Speaking to party workers, Mr Shah termed the PML-N and PPP alliance part of the democratic struggle, and said the continuation of the alliance was in the best interest of the country.

Recalling the claims made by President Pervez Musharraf that he would not allow Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif to return to Pakistan, he said that by the grace of Allah both had returned during the rule of

Mr Musharraf, but the “oppressors” had assassinated Ms Bhutto.

“The Musharraf rule of eight years has pushed the country to the brink of disaster and as such no improvement can be brought about in governance and the system in the presence of Pervez Musharraf,” he said.

Mr Shah paid homage to Ms Bhutto for her role in the restoration of democracy. He expressed the hope that the rule of the people would be established soon.

He pledged to work for the rights of Sindh, betterment and economic uplift of the province and prosperity of its people. During his seven-year exile many of his colleagues, including Tariq Khan, had been assassinated or had passed away, he said, adding that their blood would not go to waste.

Mr Shah thanked Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah for making fool-proof security arrangements for him.