Nawaz Sharif to return to Pakistan on October 21: Shehbaz Sharif

LONDON: Former Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that his brother and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is set to arrive in Pakistan on October 21, Pakistan-based Geo News reported. He said that the Supreme Court's recent decision on the National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) Amendment case has nothing to do with his cases.

Shehbaz Sharif made the remarks after holding a legal session, attended by Nawaz Sharif, Suleman Sharif and lawyers Azam Nazir Tarar, Amjad Pervez and Attaullah Tarar. He said that the cases against Nawaz Sharif were made on false grounds and were politically motivated, according to Geo News report.

He said that cases against Nawaz Sharif were made on false grounds and were politically motivated. He said, "There is no legal merit in the cases framed against Nawaz Sharif and he has never relied on the new NAB laws. He will be in Pakistan on October 21."

Sharif criticised Pakistan's outgoing Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and said he made controversial and political decisions that benefited Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan.

He alleged that Bandial went out of his way to help Imran Khan and violated his oath. Shehbaz Sharif asked, "The 2-1 decision he gave is regrettable. To a great extent, he has restored a dictator’s black law. When Imran Khan changed NAB law through a presidential order to give NRO to his sidekicks, where was Bandial? Why didn’t he act like this at that time? That Ordinance was for four months and Imran Khan’s sponsors benefitted from that. That was a classic example of Niazi-NAB collusion," Geo News reported.

PML-N President said that Pakistan was harmed through a conspiracy that brought Khan to power and the country's journey to prosperity and progress halted. He said that if given a clear mandate again, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif will take Pakistan's economy to the level where it was in 2017 when he was ousted for not taking a salary from his son. Speaking about Raja Riaz's inclusion into the PML-N, Shehbaz Sharif said that he and his brother welcomed the former PTI lawmaker and opposition leader Raja Riaz into the party.

Shehbaz Sharif said, "We have welcomed Raja Riaz into PML-N. For 16 months, he was leader of the opposition in the national assembly. I hope his joining will strengthen the party." Riaz thanked Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif for trusting him. Meanwhile, Pakistan's former law minister Azam Nazir Tarar said that Nawaz Sharif after his return to Pakistan will face all cases in respect of the courts.

Taking a dig at Imran Khan, Tarar said: "Nawaz Sharif will not put a bucket on his head. He will appear in the courts smiling and he will be vindicated on merit. There is no substance in the false cases made against him," Geo News reported. He further said, "We will work in accordance with the law. We will not attack the courts and we will not do anything to evade the course of justice as was seen recently. There will be open hearings and the truth will be established."

Earlier, PML-N Deputy Secretary General Attaullah Tarar said that Nawaz Sharif's planned return to Pakistan on October 21 will not be affected by the Supreme Court’s decision on PTI chief's petition challenging amendments made to the country's accountability laws during the tenure of the previous Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-led government. He said there was overwhelming evidence that Nawaz Sharif was an innocent man and “no case is a hindrance in his way of return to Pakistan.