Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz have boarded the flight from Abu Dhabi to Lahore.
Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam was arrested on Friday soon after after their arrival in Islamabad from London. They have been convicted in a corruption case described by Pakistan's embattled former prime minister as a "blind revenge" amid a crackdown on his party activists. Earlier in the day, Sharif, 68, the supremo of the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz, and Maryam stopped over in Abu Dhabi on their way to Pakistan from London. Security has been tightened and all roads leading to Punjab's capital city have been blocked to prevent PML-N supporters to reach there.They will be arrested on their arrival at Lahore airport from where they will be taken to Islamabad by helicopter so that they can be sent to Adiala jail for imprisonment.
Both Nawaz and daughter Maryam were in London visiting Sharif's ailing wife when a Pakistani court convicted them of corruption and sent them to prison. Sharif's son-in-law is currently serving his one-year prison sentence on the same charge, which stems from the purchase of luxury apartments in Britain that the court said were bought with illegally gotten money. Sharif is expected to appeal his conviction and seek bail. Ahead of his return, police swept through Lahore, arresting scores of Sharif's PML-N workers to prevent them from greeting him at the airport. In a video message reportedly from aboard his aircraft en route to Pakistan, Sharif said he was returning knowing he would be taken directly to prison.
Here are the highlights:
11:01 pm: Special plane to land at New Isb Airport at 10:28pm (Post 11 IST) . Only one helicopter is standby position at New Airport to fly them.
11:00 pm: In Lahore, authorities have braced to maintain law and order, as a large number of PML-N workers and supporters have gathered in various parts of Lahore to welcome the ousted premier and his daughter.
Large parts of the city are in lockdown.
10:20 pm: Nawaz, Maryam taken into NAB custody, off to Islamabad, reports Dawn.
10:05 pm: Nawaz, Maryam taken into custody at Lahore airport; passports confiscated
09:58 pm: A helicopter is present at the airport to take them to Islamabad from there they will be sent to Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi after producing them to the accountability court.
09:55 pm: Nawaz Sharif and daughter Maryam Nawaz leave the plane with Pak Rangers immediately after landing at the Lahore airport after a three-hour flight from Abu Dhabi.
09:50 pm: Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz arrested at Lahore airport.
09:40 pm: Supporters accompanying Nawaz Sharif and daughter Maryam raise slogans as NAB teams enter the aircraft, reports Pakistani media.
09:22 pm: Sleuths of the National Accountability Bureau of Pakistan are likely to take Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz into custody as soon as they come out after the immigration process.
09:00 pm: Nawaz Sharif, daughter Maryam lands at Lahore airport .
The flight carrying former Pak PM Nawaz Sharif and daughter Maryam lands in Lahore.
08:55 pm: Nawaz Sharif’s Etihad EY 243 flight begins descent to Lahore.
08:20 pm: Section 144 imposed in Islamabad as Nawaz Sharif's Etihad flight to Lahore is about to be diverted to Islamabad over security concerns.
07:44 pm: Nawaz Sharif's Etihad flight to Lahore has now been diverted to Islamabad.
07:42 pm: According to Pakistani media, 378 people have been arrested so far in Lahore as the city braces for the arrival of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz. Lahore has been on a lockdown as most of the roads have been shutdown along with the entry road to the airport.
07:40 pm: Supporters of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif hold posters of him and chant slogans as they gather at Lohari Gate, where Shahbaz Sharif will lead a rally towards the airport ahead of the Nawaz's arrival, reports AFP.
07:30 pm: PML-N workers head towards Lahore airport ahead of Nawaz Sharif's arrival
6:40 pm: Cellphone services have been suspended in certain parts of Lahore in anticipation of the arrival of Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz. Contingents of Rangers have been deployed in and around Lahore Airport
6:29 pm: Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz have boarded the flight from Abu Dhabi to Lahore.
6:16 pm: Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz have reportedly boarded the flight to Lahore.
5:50 pm: Maryam Nawaz posts another tweet, says they are being told that they will be soon boarding the flight for Pakistan.
5:20 pm: Nawaz Sharif speaks to the media ahead of his arrival in Lahore, says, "I am coming back to pay back the dues I owe my country."
05:10 pm: PML(N) tweets a video of its workers being detained in Lahore ahead of Nawaz Sharif's arrival.
04:30 pm: Thousands of police have been deployed in the central city of Lahore and shipping containers placed along main roads, which could be used to block protesters from moving towards the airport, where Nawaz Sharif is expected to land
2:50 pm: Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's grandsons have been arrested for allegedly punching a demonstrator during a scuffle outside their house here, the Metropolitan Police said.
1:49 pm: Before leaving for Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif leaves a message for all his follower. The video was shared on Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz PML(N) twitter. 'Pakistani qaum ko batana chahta hoon ki main ye aapke liye kar raha hoon. Ye kurbaani main aapki naslon ke liye de raha hoon,' he said.
1:44 pm: Ousted Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif's daughter Maryam tweeted his photograph before leaving for Pakistan. Her tweet reads -" Told my kids to be brave in the face of oppression. But kids will still be kids. Goodbyes are hard, even for the grownups." Both Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam, sentenced to lengthy jail terms in absentia, are due to return to Pakistan on Friday in a high-stakes gamble to galvanise their beleaguered party ahead of a July 25 general election.
1:40 pm: Lahore police have placed containers on the city roads leading to the airport. A narrow passage has been left for motorists where police have been deployed for checking. "Over 100 police commandos will be deployed at the airport on Friday to avert any untoward incident," senior Lahore police officer Sardar Asif said. He said the police are taking only anti-social elements into custody ahead of Sharif's arrival. He said the arrested PML-N activists have been detained for 30 days under the public order.
