Islamabad: The wife and daughters of deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's brother, Shahbaz Sharif have arrived in Pakistan after being allowed by the government to return from their exile in Jeddah.

Two daughters and wife of Shahbaz, who was the former Chief Minister of Punjab province arrived in Lahore from Jeddah last night (April 5). This was the first time they returned after being exiled along with Sharif to Jeddah in 2000.

Sharif, who was sentenced to life for preventing President Pervez Musharraf from landing during the 1999 military coup has accepted the exile worked out by Saudi Arabia and lived in Jeddah along with family ever since.

Local media reports said that Musharraf has allowed the return of Shahbaz's family members.

"The permission has been granted on humanitarian grounds. Nobody would be allowed to politically exploit the opportunity offered by the government," chief of pro- military Pakistan Muslim League-Q, (PML-Q) Chaudhry Shujaat said.

On whether Shahbaz could also be permitted to return home, the PML (Q) president said his was "a different case".

Recently, Shahbaz was permitted by Saudi Arabian government to go to US to undergo surgery.

PTI