ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in London, marking a highly anticipated visit during which the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is set to discuss its election campaign and the prospective return of the party’s leader, Nawaz Sharif.
The younger Sharif’s first visit to the UK comes after concluding his 16-month tenure in the government earlier this month. Accompanying him on the trip is his son, Salman Shehbaz.
Party sources disclosed that Shehbaz is there to conduct crucial meetings with PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif during his stay in London. Other important leaders of the party will also be present to participate in these meetings.
Several former federal ministers have already assembled in the UK capital to engage in the discussions among the party’s leadership. These discussions will revolve around the potential return of Nawaz Sharif.
The party’s legal team is also slated to partake in these meetings, aiming to deliberate on the legal challenges faced by the party’s supremo, as indicated by sources within the PML-N.
Nawaz Sharif To Return In September For Legal Proceedings And Elections
On August 9, Shehbaz Sharif made a statement affirming that Nawaz Sharif will make his way back to Pakistan in September.
He additionally mentioned that he will journey to London to conduct comprehensive consultations with his elder brother on this matter.
“Nawaz Sharif will come back to Pakistan next month and will face the law and lead the election campaign,” he said without the exact date of Nawaz’s homecoming who has been in self-imposed exile in London since November 2019 owing to health reasons.
Shehbaz said, “He [Nawaz] will neither wear a hat nor a bucket.”
In November 2019, Nawaz went to London to undergo medical treatment following his conviction by an accountability court in graft cases. He has maintained his residence there since that time.
n 2016, the Supreme Court’s decision to permanently disqualify him for concealing assets compelled Nawaz to resign from the position of prime minister.
Subsequently, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed cases against the PML-N supremo in connection with the Al-Azizia and Aveinfeild Apartment references, which originated from the revelations of the Panama Papers leak.
His appeals against these convictions are presently awaiting review within the relevant courts.
