2007年VOA标准英语-Sharif Appeals Expulsion from Pakistan

By Daniel Schearf
Islamabad
11 September 2007

A lawyer for Pakistan's former Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, has filed a legal challenge against the government for deporting² him from Pakistan. The government, however, has argued Mr. Sharif was not forcibly deported³ but instead chose to return to exile rather than face arrest on corruption⁴ charges. Daniel Schearf reports from Islamabad.

Mr. Sharif's lawyer filed a petition with Pakistan's Supreme⁵ Court Tuesday challenging the government's deportation⁶ of Mr. Sharif back to exile in Saudi Arabia.

Nawaz Sharif arrives in Pakistan, 10 Sep 2007

The deposed⁷ former Prime Minister arrived in Pakistan Monday morning after serving seven years of an agreed ten years in exile.

But after being served with a warrant for his arrest on corruption charges, he was sent back to Saudi Arabia after only a few hours in the country.

Pakistan's Minister of State for Information, Tariq Azim, says contrary to numerous reports and opposition⁸ party comments the government did not deport¹ Mr. Sharif or interfere⁹ in his return.

Azim says Mr. Sharif was "allowed all courtesies" and "handled graciously," but once he realized he might go to jail chose to return to exile in Saudi Arabia.

"He was given an option if he wanted to go to Saudi Arabia. And, he accepted that option," said Azim. "And, instead of going to a detention¹⁰ center he opted¹¹ to go to Jeddah to complete his 10 years."

The former Prime Minister was attempting a return to Pakistan to mount a challenge to President Musharraf - the man who ousted¹² him from power in 1999 in a military coup¹³.

After the coup, the Musharraf government sentenced Mr. Sharif to life in prison on corruption charges but allowed him to go into exile in Saudi Arabia under a deal where he promised to stay away from Pakistan for a decade.

The deportation appears to fly in the face of a Supreme Court ruling last month saying the deal was not valid¹⁴ and Mr. Sharif should be allowed to return to Pakistan without government interference.

Pervez Musharraf

Mr. Musharraf has butted¹⁵ heads with the Supreme Court before. In March he attempted to fire the chief justice, sparking mass protests across the country.

Mr. Sharif's party, the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), has condemned¹⁶ the deportation and is supporting a nation-wide lawyer's strike in protest at the government's actions.

The United States, a major ally of Mr. Musharraf against resurgent militants¹⁷ and terrorists in Pakistan, has said the deportation goes against the Supreme Court ruling.

The European Union has said Mr. Sharif should be allowed to return to Pakistan to face trial.

Another former Prime Minister in exile, Benazir Bhutto, is attempting to negotiate her way back into Pakistan politics through a power-sharing arrangement with Mr. Musharraf.

1 deport   

vt.驱逐出境

参考例句：

• We deport aliens who slip across our borders.我们把偷渡入境的外国人驱逐出境。
• More than 240 England football fans are being deported from Italy following riots last night.昨晚的骚乱发生后有240多名英格兰球迷被驱逐出意大利。

2 deporting   

v.将…驱逐出境( deport的现在分词 )；举止

参考例句：

3 deported   

v.将…驱逐出境( deport的过去式和过去分词 )；举止

参考例句：

• They stripped me of my citizenship and deported me. 他们剥夺我的公民资格，将我驱逐出境。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The convicts were deported to a deserted island. 罪犯们被流放到一个荒岛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

5 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

6 deportation   

n.驱逐，放逐

参考例句：

• The government issued a deportation order against the four men.政府发出了对那4名男子的驱逐令。
• Years ago convicted criminals in England could face deportation to Australia.很多年以前，英国已定罪的犯人可能被驱逐到澳大利亚。

7 deposed   

v.罢免( depose的过去式和过去分词 )；（在法庭上）宣誓作证

参考例句：

• The president was deposed in a military coup. 总统在军事政变中被废黜。
• The head of state was deposed by the army. 国家元首被军队罢免了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

9 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

10 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

11 opted   

v.选择，挑选( opt的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She was co-opted onto the board. 她获增选为董事会成员。
• After graduating she opted for a career in music. 毕业后她选择了从事音乐工作。

12 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

13 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

14 valid   

adj.有确实根据的；有效的；正当的，合法的

参考例句：

• His claim to own the house is valid.他主张对此屋的所有权有效。
• Do you have valid reasons for your absence?你的缺席有正当理由吗？

15 butted   

对接的

参考例句：

• Two goats butted each other. 两只山羊用角顶架。
• He butted against a tree in the dark. 他黑暗中撞上了一棵树。

16 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

17 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。