ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Thursday dispelled the impression of an underhand political deal that prompted a leading politician, Nawaz Sharif, to end self-exile in London and return to Pakistan during in an interview to a local digital channel.
Sharif, a three-time former prime minister, is scheduled to return on October 21 to lead the election campaign for his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party ahead of the national polls in January.
Local media reported earlier today that he had begun his return journey and would visit Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates en route to Pakistan.
The former PM had left Pakistan in an air ambulance in November 2019 after being released on bail for medical reasons from a seven-year prison sentence for corruption. He did not return as stipulated and was declared a fugitive by a local court for violating the terms of his bail.
“What sort of a deal would the caretaker government make and why,” Kakar asked during the interview with WE News. “Nawaz Sharif went abroad following a decision taken by court. When he left the country, Imran Khan was in power. I was not there, nor was my caretaker setup there.”
“If he decides to return to the country and participate in the political process, there will definitely be some legal hardships,” he continued. “But even those legal hardships would be addressed in a legal way.”
The prime minister added Pakistan had a judicial system that was accessible to everyone.
“Everyone will try to find legal remedies in accordance with their legal situation,” he said.
Sharif denied any wrongdoing while he was convicted on graft charges. His party also maintains that all cases against him were politically motivated and pursued by his rivals to remove him from the political landscape.
