Lahore, Oct 1 (PTI) Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party will approach the Lahore High Court (LHC) for his bail before he arrives in the country later this month, a media report said on Sunday.
Nawaz, 73, recently said that he is excited to return to Pakistan on October 21, ending a four-year “self-imposed exile” and to lead his party in the election likely to be held in January 2024.
The decision to approach the LHC for bail was taken to avoid Nawaz’s arrest at Lahore airport because he was declared a proclaimed offender, Geo News reported.
It said it was unclear when the party would exactly approach the court for bail.
Citing PML-N officials, Geo News said the party’s legal team would approach LHC for bail a week before the three-time prime minister’s return to the country.
The PML-N leaders said that the decision to approach the court was discussed with Nawaz, his younger brother Shehbaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz in recent meetings held in London.
Citing sources, it said that a protective bail application may also be submitted in the court just two days before Nawaz’s return in which it would be urged that the PML-N supremo should not be arrested for seven days and he would surrender himself before the relevant court.
If the bail is approved then Nawaz would not go to jail immediately on his return home and he would also be able to address the public gathering planned at Minar-e-Pakistan grounds, sources said.
PML-N President Shehbaz on Saturday said that the main goal and agenda of Nawaz will be to provide relief to the masses, rescue them from the miserable situation and eradicate economic darkness.
He made the comments during a party meeting to review preparations for Nawaz’s return to Pakistan.
The party appraised him regarding the preparation made for the rally at Minar-e-Pakistan to welcome Nawaz.
Nawaz 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 receiveable 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.
Nawaz was also convicted in the Al-Azizia Mills and Avenfield corruption cases in 2018. PTI ZH ZH
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