Corruption cases reopened against former PM Sharif

The government has reopened corruption cases against former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and a court on Friday ordered the arrest of his brother, three days before their return to Pakistan to challenge its military leader, lawyers said.

Sharif's party denounced the cases as politically motivated and claimed police had detained 1,300 of its workers to stop them welcoming the brothers home, ratcheting up political tension.

Nawaz Sharif was toppled by President General Pervez Musharraf in a 1999 coup and forced into exile in Saudi Arabia. He has said he will come back on Monday to counter Musharraf's re-election bid and run for parliament, despite the threat of arrest.