Islamabad: Even as his supporters go gung-ho about Nawaz Sharif’s return to Pakistan Saturday after four years, two main opposition parties have slammed the former prime minister for the alleged special arrangements for his arrival.
Sharif is expected to return to Pakistan after ending four years of self-imposed exile in the United Kingdom after jumping bail in 2020.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)’s legal team is hopeful that he will not have to go to jail soon after arrival in Pakistan as the Islamabad High Court Thursday provided temporary relief to Sharif as it granted the 73-year-old former prime minister a protective bail in the Avenfield and Al-Azizia corruption cases until October 24. An anti-corruption court also suspended his arrest warrant in the Toshakhana vehicles case.
Friday, using the hashtag ‘Certified_chor_ki_ wapsi’ (return of a certified thief), Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf posted an old, undated video clip of their leader on X, formerly known as Twitter, which showed the now-in-jail former prime minister is saying that till the time he (Sharif) is sure of winning, he will not let the elections happen.
Predicting the likely course of action upon Sharif’s return to Pakistan, Khan says in the clip, “He (Sharif) will say, first get rid of Imran Khan anyhow, so that he is unable to fight an election. Because he does not know how to play a match with a neutral umpire. … (So), he will say, the first thing is to remove Khan as he (Sharif) cannot fight Khan.”
“Second, he (Sharif) will say, put an end to all my corruption cases. And third, the Election Commission is already his, so till the time he is sure of winning, he will not let the elections happen. But the problem is Pakistan is spiralling down,” Khan is shown as saying in the video clip.
Prior to that, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari slammed Sharif as he said, “The Constitution, election, and democracy were halted due to one person’s return,” according to a media report.
“Despite being partners in the last government and demanding the former three-time prime minister’s return, the PPP has kept raising concerns that Nawaz might get a ‘special relief’,” portal The International News said.
Bhutto also hit out at the PML-N, whose slogan has been “vote ko izzat do (give respect to the sanctity of vote.”
“Our previous allies will have to acknowledge that delaying elections will not ‘give respect to vote’, rather disrespect it (sic),” The News said quoting Bilawal speaking during a public rally in Karachi.
Meanwhile, the official X handle of PML-N posted a poster of Saturday’s rally with the heading ‘Minar-e-Pakistan will witness history.’
“Tomorrow, begins a new era. A new hope, a new destiny. A dream, that can only be realised through one Nawaz Sharif! (sic),” the post claimed.
Another post on X said: “Come to Minar Pakistan Lahore to welcome architect of the Watan Mian Nawaz Sharif to secure your and your children’s future. This is the time to acknowledge the services of our benefactor to the nation (sic).”
PTI