Nawaz issued diplomatic passport

The federal government on Thursday issued a diplomatic passport to PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif after clearance from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to sources, the passport has been issued for a period of five years and was sent to the PML-N leader through the Passport and Immigration Office.

The former government of the PTI had cancelled Nawaz’s diplomatic passport after he was declared proclaimed offender by the court.

In April, around a week after the PML-N took over the reins of government after a successful vote of no-confidence against PTI Chairman and then premier Imran Khan, an ordinary passport valid for 10 years was issued to Nawaz.

Imran’s government had refused to renew the PML-N supreme leader’s passport after it expired in February 2021 with the then-interior minister Sheikh Rashid stating that Nawaz could be issued special travel documents to return to Pakistan.

According to rules and regulations, former presidents and premiers are entitled to keep diplomatic passports.

Nawaz was granted eight-week bail on medical grounds in October 2019, and a month later, he was allowed to travel abroad for treatment for four weeks. He is in London to date.

Earlier this month, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz dropped hints that Nawaz would return to the country as “no case is now left” after the Islamabad High Court’s observation that the order against the Sharif family in the Avenfield apartments reference was "incorrect".

Addressing a news conference in London, Maryam said the party would be soon taking up the matter legally and Nawaz would be back among the people as his "innocence" had been established.

The PML-N scion’s broad hints that Nawaz was reappearing on the political firmament anytime soon came as former premier Imran Khan is making strides towards Islamabad – virtually the political oasis of the PML-N-led coalition whose clout in provinces has been undercut by PTI's unabated wins at the ballot box.

With the eventual acquittal of his daughter in the case, sources had earlier revealed that Nawaz’s lawyers were preparing to clean up legal thorns on his way back to the country as his party sails through turbulent waters.