After four years of self-imposed exile in London, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is returning to Pakistan via a chartered plane titled “Umeed-e-Pakistan” (Pakistan’s Hope).
Nawaz Sharif Special Flight
The special flight carrying 164 members from his party and media organizations took off from Dubai airport at 10.50 a.m. (PST) after a one-hour and 22-minute delay and is scheduled to land at Islamabad airport at roughly 1.45 p.m. (PST).
After completing legal formalities in Islamabad, the former Prime Minister will depart for Lahore to attend the party’s much-anticipated power show at Minar-e-Pakistan, where he will reveal the party’s future course of action.
PML-N Workers Coming To Lahore
Caravans of PML-N workers and fans are arriving in Lahore by train and road to see their leader, who is trying to make a political return ahead of the upcoming general elections.
Earlier this week, the PML-N chief’s safe return to the country was ensured when he obtained relief from the Islamabad High Court and an accountability court, averting the prospect of immediate detention upon his return.
Nawaz Sharif served as Prime Minister three times before being deposed in 2017 and barred from politics for life for failing to declare a payable salary.
Cases and Convictions
He served less than a year of a seven-year sentence before being granted permission to seek medical treatment in the United Kingdom, rejecting repeated court demands to return during the regime of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
His prospects changed when his brother Shehbaz Sharif came to power last year and his government approved amendments to the law, including as restricting MPs’ disqualification from running for office to five years.
Fans refer to him as “the Lion of Punjab,” the eastern and most populous province where he has the most popularity, and he is known to showcase huge cats at lavish political events to whip up support.
While his convictions prevent him from running for office or holding public office again, his legal team says he intends to appeal, and his party says he wants to be Prime Minister for the fourth time.
Nawaz Sharif’s comeback comes at a time when Pakistan is struggling from an economic crisis, including surging inflation, exacerbated by his younger brother, Shehbaz Sharif, who led a coalition government after Khan’s dismissal.
To read our blog on “Nawaz Sharif likely to land in Pakistan in mid-sept in 2023,” click here.
