ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar told an international news channel he would consult the law ministry regarding former premier Nawaz Sharif’s return to Pakistan who was sent to prison for corruption before securing a medical bail and flying to London where he has been in self-exile since November 2019.
Sharif’s party announced earlier this month he would return to the country on October 21 to spearhead his party’s election campaign ahead of the national polls scheduled toward the end of January.
While he is faced with legal challenges after being declared an absconder for violating his bail terms, Sharif’s colleagues are planning a massive rally to welcome him in the eastern Lahore city, while the interim administration has specified in clear terms how it plans to deal with his return.
“We have asked the law ministry to tell us what should be the administrative attitude of the caretaker government in this case,” Kakar told BBC Urdu in an interview released today. “I had asked them about it before leaving for [the United Nations General Assembly].
And as soon as I return to Pakistan, I will call a meeting to ponder over this question.”
In a reference to another ex-premier Imran Khan, who is currently behind bars and facing a slew of cases on serious charges, the interviewer asked if his absence from the upcoming elections would not lead to yet another political crisis in the country.
In response, the prime minister said it was premature to talk about it.
“It is a speculative question which goes beyond my mandate,” he said. “As far as my administration and I are concerned, it is not our responsibility to create or prevent such crises. Our mandate is to go into elections by staying within the legal framework. If the elections lead to some crisis, it creates a question for the whole state and society, but not for the caretaker administration.”
Pakistan is grappling with multifaceted crises, with two of its former prime ministers away from the political landscape.
Sharif, a three-time premier, and Khan, who was ousted in a parliamentary no-trust vote, have both claimed innocence and called all cases against them politically motivated.
