Former president Musharraf returns to Pakistan

KARACHI: Ending nearly four years of self-imposed exile, Pakistan's former military ruler Pervez Musharraf returned home today to take part in the May 11 general elections despite a Taliban death threat.

Musharraf, 69, along with his delegation of around 150 people including his party supporters and journalists landed at Jinnah International airport in Karachi by a chartered Emirates flight from Dubai.

He will be taken to old airport terminal building in a bullet proof vehicle, officials said.

"He is being taken from the runaway to the old terminal building in a bullet proof car and he and his delegation of around 150 people including his party supporters and journalists will have to complete immigration and custom clearance via a normal channel," senior police official Tahir Naveed said.

Hundreds of his supporters, including women and children gathered outside the old airport building to welcome the former President with banners, party and national flags and some of the supporters raised slogans as soon as the aircraft carrying Musharraf landed.

Security at the airport was tight in the wake a threat to Musharraf's life from Pakistani Taliban.

Hundreds of Police and paramilitary rangers were present inside and outside the airport to provide security cover for the former President's.

Sniffer dogs and scanners being used to check all incoming and outgoing vehicles and people coming to the airport.

Musharraf is expected to address a press conference inside the terminal building.

In a message posted on Twitter shortly before he boarded a flight from Dubai, Musharraf wrote: "I will arrive in Karachi today, March 24th, at 1pm & address a public rally at the airport at 5 pm in the evening."

Earlier, the former President tweeted a photo of him leaving his Dubai home, clad in a white shalwar-kameez.

He later tweeted another photo of himself "settled in my seat on the plane to begin my journey home".

"I am feeling nostalgic....I miss Pak...I love Pak...What people want, that will happen."