Pakistan's outgoing coalition partner, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), has condemned speculation that former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif may soon receive 'special relief' from the court regarding his arrest if he returns to the country.
The PPP, one of the dominant voices in the South Asian country, was in power as the ruling coalition before Shehbaz Sharif of the PML-N stepped in as prime minister.
The party has demanded a "level playing field for all".
''Nawaz Sharif will have to face the law on his return,'' PPP Secretary General Syed Nayyer Husain Bukhari said on Monday, as he ''went abroad in 2019 with the consent of the then Imran Khan-led government and through a judicial decision.''
“It is surprising to hope that the judiciary will set a precedent for special relief for Nawaz Sharif,” the PPM official stated.
Bukhari also remarked that the Anwar ul Haq Kakar-headed caretaker government’s mandate is to assist the Election Commission of Pakistan for "transparent elections".
"The caretakers should remain neutral and go home after fulfilling the responsibility of conducting free, fair and transparent elections," he added.
Why PPP Objectts Nawaz Sharif’s Return
Sharif, the 73-year-old leader of the PML-N, recently said he was looking forward to returning to his home country in October to lead his party in the upcoming national elections.
In January 2024, his four-year "self-exile" will finally come to an end as he returns just in time before Pakistan's general elections.
Media reports suggest that the PML-N has made the decision to seek bail for Sharif from the Lahore High Court. This move aims to prevent his arrest at Lahore airport, as he has been proclaimed as an offender.