The VIP lounge was full of more men in civvies carrying walkie-talkies. Nawaz Sharif was again asked to hand over his passport. He refused. "I would like to meet my party leaders who want to come here to receive me."
The police officer looked at him in exasperation and disappeared to get more instructions. Lord Nazir's power to negotiate seemed to be diminishing. "If you can't do anything else at least give us tea. We have come all the way from London, we are your guests." Tea and biscuits were served. Nawaz Sharif took his time, savoured his biscuits and told journalists it felt good to be back home.
Nawaz Sharif had seen his fortunes fluctuate in the past as well. Scion of a Lahore's conservative business family, he was handpicked by General Zia-ul Haq to run Punjab. But Nawaz Sharif soon developed a taste for people power and fired an army chief. He tried the same with General Musharraf and found himself in jail, facing life imprisonment. But his luck turned again.
One day he was in that notorious Attock Fort prison and next day he was sitting in Suroor Palace in Saudi Arabia where he was flown with his extended clan including his favourite cook and domestic help. But he must have realised in those seven years that the kind of freedom the Holy Kingdom offered him was not much improvement on the prospect of a life time in jail. He got himself a hair transplant and bid his time.
And now here he was, having kept his word, proving all those wrong who said that he is a coward and can't take on the might of the Pakistani army. Nobody knows whether he harboured dreams of a Khomeni-style triumphant return or not but he was definitely hoping for a decent welcome from his party cadres. He knew that he might be sent to jail but he seemed ready for it.
The crackle on the walkie talkies suddenly increased, The military men in civvies whispered to each other furiously, a few locked themselves in the bathroom, probably to put final touches to the plan.
When the finale came it had a ring of brutal choreography to it. The police commandoes locked hands and formed a circle around him. The men in civvies formed an even stronger circle around this circle. The Bouncer from Brimingham threw himself against this human cordon and found himself sprawled on the floor.
"Don't push him," shouted a Nawaz Sharif supporter. "He was your prime minister." "You don't push. We are only doing our duty."
"No badtameezi please, be civilised," shouted Lord Nazir.
"You'll regret this." Screamed another supporter. "You look educated," shouted back the policeman, "Don't shout."
As Nawaz Sharif was led away towards a waiting plane that would take him back to Saudi Arabia, he looked back towards his supporters and waved one last time.
For the first time his face was serene, the face of a man whose worst fears had come true.
Photograph: A Pakistan International Airlines plane, with Nawaz Sharif on board, takes off from Islamabad airport, September 10. Photograph: Farooq Naeem/AFP/Getty Images
Also read: 'Sharif humiliated by govt'
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