The Pakistan government on Monday defended its decision to deport former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to Jeddah, claiming that it was in the 'supreme interest' of the country.
Meanwhile, Sharif's supporters from the Pakistan Muslim League filed a contempt petition in the Supreme Court, accusing the government of flouting the apex court's order about his return.
Officially confirming Sharif's deportation hours after he landed in Islamabad from London after a seven-year exile, Interior Minister Aftab Khan Sherpao said "It (deportation) is in the supreme interest of the country".
He also said that the action was in conformity with the law of the land and the government was ready to defend it before the Supreme Court. "Sharif's deportation is in accordance with law and ethics," Sherpao told reporters in Islamabad on Monday.
When asked about PML-N's contempt petition in the apex court, Sherpao said Attorney General Mallik Qayyum will respond appropriately.
However, Qayyum said he was not aware of what had transpired at the airport and would respond to media inquiries only after ascertaining facts. The attorney general rejected speculations that he has resigned in protest over Sharif's deportation.