Nawaz Sharif returns to Pakistan after 4 years of self-imposed exile

Islamabad (Pakistan): Deposed prime minister and proclaimed offender Nawaz Sharif returned to Pakistan on Saturday afternoon after spending four years in self-imposed exile for medical treatment.

The PML-N supremo’s legal team including former law minister Senator Azam Tarar and party leaders are present at the airport to receive him.Tarar said Nawaz will be consulted on political and legal issues upon his arrival, adding that the ex-premier will head to the VIP lounge after landing.

He confirmed that the court staff also reached the airport and now “the legal process of security guarantee will be completed”.

Ex-deputy mayor Zeeshan Naqvi was also present at the airport along with the oath commissioner for signing legal documents. The legal team of Nawaz will go inside the plane to take his biometrics and signatures.

Before boarding his flight, Nawaz said he was “happy to return”. He is likely to face a host of legal challenges before embarking on his election campaign to rev up his party’s prospects in the lead-up to elections due in Jan next year.

Party leader Ishaq Dar said Nawaz would arrive at Minar-i-Pakistan at 5pm today on schedule to address the gathering.

“On a media channel, there is news that Mian Nawaz Sharif will first go to Jati Umra and will later go to Minar-i-Pakistan at 7pm. This news is not true,” he said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Nawaz’s party is rallying its base, urging supporters to converge on Minar-i-Pakistan in Lahore from around the country to greet their leader and showcase the undiminished popularity of the party, which has been declared ‘irrelevant’ by its rivals.

Observers say the reason Nawaz is arriving in Islamabad instead of Lahore is that his touchdown in the capital was necessary to make bail, earlier granted by the Islamabad High Court on Oct 19.

“I’m going back to Pakistan after four years today,” Nawaz said today while speaking to the media at Dubai Airport. “When I was leaving Pakistan and going abroad I had no feeling of happiness but today I am happy.”

The ousted premier added that it would have been very good if the situation of the country was better today as compared to 2017.

“I get very worried and disappointed seeing the situation in the country. The country that had to move forward is going backward now economically and unity-wise.”

Terming the situation as “worrisome”, Nawaz said there was still hope and “we should not let it slip from our hands as we are capable of fixing it because we spoilt it ourselves”.

He said the country had to get back on its feet as nobody would lift us up.

“When I remember Pakistan back then, I get hurt, we had said goodbye to the International Monetary Fund, electricity was cheap, the rupee was stable, there was employment, roti cost Rs4, a poor family’s child went to school and medicines were also cheap.”