Nawaz to be treated as per law upon return: Solangi

Says former PM went to London with govt’s permission, 'didn't escape from jail'

KARACHI:

Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi on Saturday said that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif would be treated according to the law upon his return to the country, highlighting that the three-time former prime minister had travelled to London with the government's approval for medical reasons.

Addressing a news conference at the Karachi Press Club, the minister said that Nawaz, who is set to return to the country on Oct 21, had not escaped from jail but was allowed by the then government and the Lahore High Court (LHC) to go abroad.

The reference was made to the year 2019 when Nawaz, who had been sentenced to prison in the Avenfield and Al-Azizia cases, provided a written undertaking to the LHC, committing to return to Pakistan once his health improved.

A medical board established by the then government also corroborated the medical report submitted by Nawaz's personal physician, Dr Adnan Khan, which had recommended allowing Nawaz to travel abroad for proper treatment due to his deteriorating health while in Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore, where he was diagnosed with an “immune system disorder”.

The PML-N announced Nawaz’s return to the country next month, putting an end to his almost four-year self-imposed exile.

Elections

The minister, during the presser, also extended his support to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to conduct fair elections, saying that the interim set-up would fulfil all the requirements in the facilitation process as it was obliged to under its constitutional responsibility.

In the context of past bitter experiences of deferred elections, the minister acknowledged the lack of clarity regarding holding elections on time, once again reiterating that the interim government was here to complete the transition phase and hand over the government to whichever party got elected by the people of Pakistan.

The minister also slammed “some people” for deliberately creating confusion for vested interests regarding the election date, adding that there was no room to believe in hearsays after the ECP had stated the possibility of holding polls by the end of January, next year.

The minister said that the ECP was responsible for conducting free, fair, transparent and impartial elections under Article 218(3) of the Constitution.

The minister said that the delimitation of constituencies would be completed by the end of November.