The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader, Nawaz Sharif, is poised to make a significant return to Pakistan from London on October 21, marking the end of his more than four-year self-imposed exile in the United Kingdom. This highly anticipated return comes with the aim of leading the PML-N's political campaign in the forthcoming elections.
The announcement was made by his younger brother and former prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, who is currently in London. During a meeting of the PML-N's top leadership, presided over by Nawaz himself in London, Shehbaz disclosed this significant development.
Upon his return, Nawaz Sharif will receive a grand and celebratory welcome from the party and its supporters, as anticipated by Shehbaz Sharif in his statement.
The 73-year-old party founder had originally left for London in November 2019, following the Lahore High Court's granting of a four-week permission allowing him to travel abroad for medical treatment. However, he chose not to return to Pakistan, where he had been convicted of corruption charges and sentenced to jail.
Specifically, he had been convicted in the Al-Azizia Mills and Avenfield corruption cases in 2018. He was serving a seven-year prison term at Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail in connection with the Al-Azizia Mills case when he was permitted to travel to London in 2019 on "medical grounds."
Shehbaz Sharif, who is 71 years old, has expressed his belief that Nawaz will become the next prime minister if the PML-N returns to power in the general elections.
Back in August, Shehbaz had originally stated that his elder brother would return to Pakistan in September to face his pending court cases and lead the party's election campaign. However, this plan was adjusted after the Election Commission of Pakistan decided to carry out a fresh delimitation of constituencies based on the new census data. This delay pushed the general elections, initially scheduled to occur within the 90-day constitutional period following the dissolution of Parliament on August 9.
According to reports from Geo News, the decision to postpone Nawaz Sharif's return until mid-October was not solely influenced by the ECP announcement but also took into account the advice from party loyalists, who suggested that September's extreme heat and challenging weather conditions were unsuitable for large-scale political gatherings. Therefore, mid-October was deemed a more favorable time for his return.
The choice to return in mid-October was finalized following discussions between Shehbaz and the PML-N supremo during Shehbaz's visit to London in August.
Nawaz Sharif's appeals against his convictions are currently pending in the relevant courts. He initially stepped down as prime minister in 2016 following a Supreme Court decision that disqualified him for life due to the non-disclosure of assets. His disqualifications continued in 2017 and 2018, rendering him ineligible for public office for life after a Supreme Court verdict in the Panama Papers case.
Although there were expectations of his return when his party came to power after the ousting of Imran Khan in April last year, these hopes went unfulfilled. Nonetheless, the PML-N has consistently maintained its belief that he would return before the elections to lead the party, as he is considered a charismatic leader with the ability to mobilize voters to the polling stations.
