The airports in Pakistan have been placed on critical alert with airport officials calling a terror attack "imminent." The government has taken the unusual move of banning five or more people from gathering near the International Airport in Rawalpindi. The Rawalpindi airport, also known as the Islamabad airport, is the military headquarters of Pakistan's armed forces.

The volatile climate in Pakistan is exacerbated by the anticipated return — on September 10th — of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The BBC reports that Sharif is expected to fly into Rawalpindi from Heathrow Airport in London. Upon his arrivial in Pakistan, Sharif says he will begin a campaign to oust current President Perez Musharraf. The Malaysia Sun reports that Pakistani Government has just announced it will arrest Sharif when he arrives on Monday morning. 

In 1999, Nawaz Sharif's government was overthrown in a coup d'etat by Musharraf. In 2000, Sharif was exiled to Saudi Arabia after being sentenced to life in jail on charges of hijacking and terrorism. The hijacking charge stems from his refusal to allow an airliner carrying Musharraf to land, despite its being short of fuel.

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