The Sharif brothers recently obtained the court's permission to return home anytime on account of their Pakistani nationality. In turn, Musharraf is trying to do everything to scare them off because the return of his old enemies is the last thing he wants.

The Sharif brothers' prison cell, located in the historical Attock Fort between Islamabad and Peshawar, has already been set up. The brothers were already imprisoned there before being forced into exile.

However, it is as yet unclear whether they will have to return next week, and for how long. Most experts think Nawaz Sharif has no reason to fear a trial, his brother's situation is more serious.

Good timing

At any rate, the Sharifs have chosen a convenient moment for their return to Pakistan. The position of their most important political opponent -- President Pervez Musharraf -- is weak. His term of office ends soon. Musharraf has to run for re-election between 15 September and 15 October this year.

There are some important questions to be asked. Will Musharraf win the present parliament's support despite the fact that its legislative period ends at the same time? And can he still remain the Chief of Army Staff -- as he has done been able to so far?

So far it has been a year for Pakistan's judges and lawyers. On 9 March, they thwarted Musharraf's attempt to remove Iftikhar Chaudhry, the independent Chief of Justice, from office. They achieved his reinstatement after a month-long campaign. On 6 September, the lawyers started a new campaign to end the military dictatorship.

Turning-point

The Supreme Court has now allowed Nawaz Sharif to return, and is currently debating the validity of Musharraf's presidency. The political commentator Rao Khalid assessed the situation as follows:

"The pessimists still think that the role of the army is never-ending in Pakistani politics. However, in my opinion, since 9 March, Pakistan has undergone a massive change and there is now an explicit desire for democracy. I consider this to be a turning point in

Pakistani history, which we have to exploit to the maximum."

" We have to support this change. I don't think there has ever been an occasion like this when the judiciary asserted itself and the people went out into the streets to call for democracy."

Musharraf under growing pressure

The times are past when the West assumed Musharraf would keep the situation on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border under control, as well as hindering increasingly frequent terrorist attacks. Instead, Musharraf is under growing diplomatic pressure. The EU ambassador in Pakistan, Jan de Kok put it bluntly:

"In 2004, President Musharraf promised us in the EU Commission that he would take off his uniform. We hope he will fulfil his promise. It is not a very good image nowadays for a country to have a president in uniform."

But Musharraf continues to push his luck. There are continuous rumours that a state of emergency will be declared. Moreover, many Pakistanis are fed up with the constant instability as well as Musharraf's secretiveness.

For the time being, many people are betting on whether or not Nawaz Sharif will land in Islamabad on Monday. If the bookies are to be believed, the chances of his return are low -- but the odds are as changeable as the political situation in Pakistan.