Legal maze ahead for Nawaz Sharif

ISLAMABAD:

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is likely to navigate through a legal maze as he sets to reappear on the country’s political skies on October 21.

The anticipated return of the PML-N supremo to the political arena is expected to be overshadowed by significant legal challenges as speculation abounds that he might have to make an appearance at the Islamabad High Court (IHC), where his protective bail application has been filed.

According to details obtained by The Express Tribune, Nawaz’s flight, Fly Dubai FZ-4525, is scheduled to touch down at Islamabad International Airport at one o'clock in the afternoon.

Security arrangements have been tightened in anticipation of his arrival.

The bail application was presented by a team of PML-N representatives, including Marriyum Aurangzeb, Azam Nazeer Tarar, Amjad Parvez, and Attaullah Tarar.

Attaullah Tarar, acting as a special attorney, filed the application in the high court registry and the case is currently under consideration.

Sources close to the matter reveal that if granted an exemption by the court for the next two days, Nawaz will proceed to Lahore. However, in the event that he is required to obey the court's order to appear, Sharif will make his way to Islamabad from Dubai.

Following his court appearance, it is expected that Nawaz will have a brief stay in the capital before leaving for Lahore via a chartered plane.

The PML-N has made extensive preparations to welcome the former prime minister, organising a grand reception program in his honour upon his arrival in the city.

It is noteworthy that the party believes that since Nawaz Sharif's co-accused, Maryam Nawaz Sharif and her husband, have already been acquitted in the Avenfield case, the IHC would quickly allow his appeal.

The IHC had previously suspended his sentence in the Avenfield reference in 2018, and the party is hopeful that the court will find the National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) failure to prove charges against Maryam and her spouse as grounds for acquitting Nawaz as well.