Islamabad: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif would leave London for Saudi Arabia Wednesday to perform Umrah pilgrimage before returning to Pakistan next week, ending a four-year “self-imposed exile”, a senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz said Tuesday.
Senator Irfan Siddiqui told journalists that the PML-N supremo would perform Umrah (pilgrimage to Mecca) and spend time with his son Hussain Sharif during his stay in the Gulf Kingdom.
“I don’t have any reports of his meeting with the Royal family…But he will perform Umrah, spend time with his son … most of his stay would be in Medina,” Siddiqui said.
He added that Sharif, 73, would leave for the UAE two days before his expected arrival in Pakistan October 21. “He will rest there and is also expected to meet some party leaders.”
When asked about the media reports that Sharif would visit China and Qatar, Siddiqui said no such trips were scheduled before October 21.
The PML-N senator rejected the impression that the party was changing its narrative ‘vote ko izzat do’ (honour the vote) by saying that Sharif never can never reject the narrative as it enjoys the support of the people.
“But let me tell you one thing, his speech would not be that of a conventional political leader. He will show the nation the path forward like a political visionary … and his speech will determine a new way for us,” Siddiqui said while talking about Sharif’s planned speech after landing in Lahore.
Sharif recently said that he is excited to return to Pakistan to lead his party in the election likely to be held in January 2024.
Earlier this month, Samaa TV reported that Sharif had booked a business class ticket on flight EY243 of Etihad Airways in advance. The Etihad Airways flight will land at the Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore at 6:25 pm October 21.
Sharif stepped down as the country’s prime minister in 2017 after he was disqualified for life from holding public office by the Supreme Court for not declaring a receivable salary. He has been living in London since 2019 after the LHC granted him four-week permission allowing him to go abroad for his treatment.
He was serving a seven-year imprisonment at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail in the Al-Azizia Mills case before he was allowed to proceed to London in 2019 on “medical grounds”.
In 2020, an accountability court declared him a proclaimed offender in the Toshakhana vehicles case. He is also accused of obtaining luxury cars from the treasury house by paying just 15 per cent of the price of these vehicles.
He was convicted in the Al-Azizia Mills and Avenfield corruption cases in 2018.
There are question marks on his fate as he had already been declared as an absconder and could be arrested after coming to Pakistan.
However, the PML-N has planned to secure a protective bail so that he can address the rally before going to jail.
PTI