Nawaz Sharif confirms homecoming

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who has been living in London since 2019 for medical treatment, on Friday confirmed that he plans to return to Pakistan next month.

Sharif, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo, met with some of his supporters and relatives at his residence in Stanhope House, where he confirmed his intention to go back to Pakistan in October, sources who attended the meeting said.

The sources said Sharif did not give a specific date for his return, but said he was determined to face the corruption charges against him that he has dismissed as politically motivated.

Sharif left Pakistan in November 2019 after he was granted bail by a court on health grounds.

He was serving a seven-year prison sentence for failing to account for the source of income that allowed him to acquire a steel mill in Saudi Arabia. He has also been convicted in another case related to his family’s ownership of luxury apartments in London.

Former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also met with Nawaz Sharif in London, where they discussed the latter’s return to  Pakistan, and the country’s political situation.

Sources said that arrangements have been finalised for Nawaz Sharif’s return to Pakistan in the second half of October, with Lahore airport being chosen as the arrival point. Upon reaching Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif may avail himself of bail.

He has been advised to proceed to Jati Umra after his arrival at Data Darbar and delivering a speech to the party members.

Shehbaz Sharif, speaking to the media after meeting Nawaz Sharif, stated that Nawaz Sharif would go to Pakistan before him. He expressed gratitude that his cancer tests have come out clear. He mentioned that it’s a good thing the dollar has fallen, and the lower the dollar goes, the better it will be for our economy.