LAHORE - In the run up to the PML-N Quaid Mian Nawaz Sharif’s anticipated return to the country, most probably in the third week of September, senior PML-N leadership is meeting in London in a week or so to finalise modalities regarding his homecoming, according to party sources.
The PML-N leaders who have been asked to reach London include former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, Khawaja Asif, Mian Javed Latif, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Ahsan Iqbal, Rana Sanaullah , Azam Nazeer Tarar, Marriyum Aurangzeb and Saiful Malook Khokar.
These party leaders are expected to leave for London in a week’s time to meet Mian Nawaz Sharif and brief him about the legal and political implications of his return to the country.
In this background, senior PML-N leader Khawaja Asif while talking to private news channel the other day said that Nawaz Sharif will not return until the legal and constitutional risks attached to his return are zero. Khawaja Asif was asked that head of a political party [Imran Khan] is currently in jail and if Nawaz Sharif returns to the country and does not get bail, he may also have to land in jail for some time. “Until the legal and constitutional risk for Nawaz Sharif is zero, we will not think of his return to the country”, he replied.
In response to a question, he said that Nawaz Sharif will definitely return to his homeland and “we do not want anyone to settle scores against him or the judiciary to give any such decision regarding him. So, by zeroing out all the risks against him, he will be brought back home”, he added. Nawaz Sharif intends to come back to the country in the third week of September.
Talking about the Supreme Court decision on the Review of Judgment Act, he said that this judgement would not have any negative impact on the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif. “His disqualification has ended after five years”, he maintained.
According to a private TV channel, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif is set to return to Pakistan by mid-September. A Sharif family source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that Nawaz will leave for Pakistan from London “after a month”. This would mean that the former prime minister will return to Pakistan in the middle of September.
The Sharif family’s lawyers and political aides had advised the PML-N supremo to come to Pakistan immediately after ending his Europe and Middle East visit which started two months ago and ended last week when Nawaz reached London. However, some within the PML-N have advised Nawaz that it’s better to arrive in mid-September.