Sources informed that the former prime minister was issued his new passport in Islamabad on April 23, 2022. They further informed that the type of the passport is “ordinary”, and it was made in the “urgent” category, according to the available evidence.
The passport is issued for 10 years to the former prime minister and it will remain valid till April 2032.
Earlier, it was reported in the media that Nawaz’s appointment for fingerprints at Pakistan High Commission in London was set for April 23 but it was cancelled the last time, however, the reason behind the appointment cancellation is not clear yet.
Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah, who is also the president of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Punjab, had announced last week that a diplomatic passport was Nawaz’s Sharif right and it would be issued to him.
“It is unfortunate that a person who has been prime minister three times is being deprived of national citizenship,” the interior minister had maintained.
Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday had also dismissed a petition challenging the possible issuance of a diplomatic passport to Nawaz. The court dismissed the petition stating that it is “based on unreliable material and is, therefore, frivolous”.
Advocate Naeem Haider Panjutha had filed a petition in the IHC based on media reports that said Nawaz was being issued a diplomatic passport on the instructions of his brother and newly elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Two weeks back, the federal government directed the Ministry of Interior to renew the passports of the ex-prime minister and former finance minister Ishaq Dar.
Imran Khan’s government had refused to renew Nawaz’s passport after it was expired in February last year but then interior minister Sheikh Rasheed had said if the PML-N supremo wanted to return he could be issued a special certificate.
The PML-N supremo was granted an eight-week bail on medical grounds in October 2019, and a month later, he was allowed to travel abroad for treatment for four weeks — and since then he is staying in London.
Former prime minister Imran Khan had repeatedly lashed out at Nawaz for going abroad for treatment, but earlier in February, he noted that letting the PML-N supremo leave Pakistan was a “major mistake” of his government.