Three-time Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif yesterday arrived home from four years of self-imposed exile in London to launch his party’s campaign for an election early next year, targeting former prime minister Imran Khan as his biggest rival.
The 73-year-old veteran politician was to lead a rally in his eastern hometown of Lahore after his chartered plane arrived in Islamabad with more than 150 people from his Pakistan Muslim League party and media organizations, the party and sources said.
After a brief stay in Islamabad International Airport to sign and file appeals against the convictions he was in jail for before he left the country, Sharif was to fly to Lahore.
Photo: AFP
“The process to sign and verify legal documents have been completed,” close aide Ishaq Dar wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
People from across the South Asian country were pouring into Lahore ahead of his arrival, a party spokesperson said.
Sharif had not set foot in Pakistan since leaving for London in 2019 to receive medical treatment while serving a 14-year prison sentence for corruption. His convictions remain in force, but a court on Thursday barred authorities from arresting him until Tuesday, when he is to appear in court.
Photo: Reuters
While he cannot run for or hold public office because of his convictions, his legal team says he plans to appeal and his party says he aims to become prime minister for a fourth time.
Sharif’s biggest challenge would be to wrestle back his support base from his main rival, Khan, who despite being in jail remains popular following his ouster from the prime ministers’ office last year.
Khan is also disqualified from the election because of his August graft conviction, which he has appealed.
Photo: Government of Israel / handout via Reuters
Nawaz Sharif has said he was ousted from government at the behest of the military after he fell out with top generals, who play an outsized role in Pakistani politics.
He says the military then backed Khan in the 2018 general election.
The military and Khan fell out last year, and over the past few months they have been involved in a bruising showdown, which has afforded Sharif some political space.
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