- The former premier and his family are facing corruption charges in the wake of the apex court’s verdict against them in the Panama case
- PM Abbasi says the Sharifs will not choose self-imposed exile
ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, and his daughter, Maryam, will reach Pakistan tonight after spending a few days in London.
The two most prominent leaders of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party had flown to the United Kingdom on Wednesday to visit the ex-premier’s ailing wife, Kalsoom Nawaz, who is undergoing cancer treatment in that country.
Some of their political rivals had criticized their departure from Pakistan, claiming that they were facing serious financial allegations and their prolonged absence from the country could jeopardize the accountability process against them.
Maryam Nawaz, however, assuaged these fears when she tweeted on Sunday: “At the Heathrow, leaving for Islamabad shortly.” She added that she “will arrive [in Pakistan] in the wee hours to be at the court.”
On Saturday, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi also rejected the possibility that Sharif and his daughter would take advantage of their visit to the UK and turn it into a self-imposed exile.
Sharif had also issued a similar statement, saying: “I will not act like Pervez Musharraf and will return to the country soon.”
While the primary purpose of his visit to London was to meet his wife and interact with her doctors, the former premier also met Abbasi, who was invited to a Commonwealth conference, and discussed with him the issue of choosing the interim prime minister.
Once the Sharifs return to Pakistan, they will face court cases again and continue their party’s struggle to win the next general elections.