ISLAMABAD—Former Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif was arrested and deported to Saudi Arabia on Monday, hours after arriving home from exile in a bid to challenge President Pervez Musharraf.
"He has been sent to Jeddah," said a security official, who declined to be identified, referring to a Saudi city.
Earlier, he had been taken into custody about three hours after arriving home from seven years in exile.
Police took Sharif from an airport lounge and onto a bus, a Reuters reporter in the lounge said. A government official said he was being arrested on money-laundering and corruption charges.
Sharif had remained on his aircraft for 90-minutes before disembarking after a tense standoff with authorities.
Sharif, who had vowed to challenge president Pervez Musharraf, eventually walked down a gangway, surrounded by supporters, onto a bus. He was driven to a terminal building where he entered a lounge.
"I feel great, I'm prepared to face any situation," Sharif told a Reuters correspondent aboard his flight as he arrived in Islamabad.
His return was always going to spark a confrontation with General Musharraf, the army chief who ousted Sharif in 1999 and cast him into exile the following year.
Police fired teargas and used batons to disperse around 700 Sharif supporters and lawyers about three km (two miles) away from the airport as he arrived.
The protesters, waving party flags and held up portraits of Sharif, threw stones at police and chanted "Go Musharraf go". Scores of supporters scuffled with police in Islamabad.
Before his arrival, authorities had detained about 4,000 Sharif supporters and several leaders of his Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), including the chairman, as well as three leaders of an allied religious alliance, party officials said.
Sharif, 57, sent into exile in Saudi Arabia in 2000, has returned home despite a Saudi official's plea for him to stay away for the sake of stability.
Musharraf exiled Sharif under what the government says was an agreement that he stay in exile for 10 years. In return, he avoided a life sentence on hijacking and corruption charges.
His return now is a serious challenge for Musharraf, who has lost much support since trying to dismiss the country's top judge in March.
Elections Due
The government says Sharif is breaking his word at a time when Pakistan needs stability in the run-up to elections.
Musharraf is preparing to seek another term in a presidential election in the national and provincial assemblies some time between September 15 and October 15.
A general election is due around the end of the year.
Officials of Sharif's PML (N) party said about 4,000 activists, most from Punjab province, Sharif's political power base, had been detained. A provincial police official said 250 "troublemakers" had been picked up.
The Supreme Court said last month Sharif and his brother Shahbaz had the right to return and the government should not try to stop them. Shahbaz is not on the flight from London.
Ordinary people were not able to get closer than three or four kilometers (2-3 miles) from Islamabad airport. Police with riot equipment were posted at barricades but there was no sign of Sharif supporters. Rallies have been banned.
Travelers with tickets had to get to the airport by shuttle bus, while some workers trying to get home from a night shift were stranded on the wrong side of road blocks.
"Every Pakistani has the right to come here," said Munir Ahmed, a cook, as he watched police at a barricade.
"If he wants to come he should come quietly and not make a political show of it because he had that agreement," said a young man who gave his name as Usman.
Pakistan says the Saudi royal family and assassinated Lebanese leader Rafik al-Hariri had guaranteed the exile deal. Sharif said on Saturday he understood the deal had been to stay away for five years.
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