Nawaz’s return depends on ‘positive’ meetings in KSA

Former premier to hold important meetings in the kingdom

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif—who is currently in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)—is expected to fly to Saudi Arabia today [Tuesday).

According to party sources, the deposed premier is likely to hold some important meetings in the kingdom. He will make a final decision with regard to his return to the country on the basis of the meetings, they added.

Nawaz, who was disqualified by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in July 2017 in the Panama Papers case, was in December 2018 also convicted and sentenced to seven years imprisonment in a corruption case.

Read more: Nawaz unlikely to return ‘soon’

However, in October 2019, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led government gave him a rare permission to fly abroad to get treatment for a debilitating health condition. Nawaz has been living in London since and has not returned to the country despite numerous court notices and his party's rise to power in the country in April last year.

Nawaz and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari met in Dubai last week – on June 27 – to allegedly discuss a number of issues including the date for the next general elections – scheduled for October – and possible seat adjustments, reported some media outlets.

These reports claimed that the PPP and the PML-N top leaders also discussed the names for the caretaker PM, with some media reports, citing anonymous sources, claimed that both even reached an agreement on a name.

The other issues on the table were the date for the next elections, and a power sharing formula.

Sources in the party said the PML-N has not yet decided about forming any electoral alliance with any party. They said the party is likely to field candidates at all constituencies of Punjab, the country’s most populous province whose electoral conquest determines who will rule the country.