Former Prime Minister Sharif, named in Panama Papers, returns to country after nearly 4 years

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has returned to his country from London, where he had been residing since November 2019.

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Former Prime Minister Sharif, named in Panama Papers, returns to country after nearly 4 years

According to reports in the national press, a private charter plane carrying Nawaz Sharif and accompanying party members landed at the airport in the capital, Islamabad.

Returning to Pakistan after approximately 4 years, Sharif is set to travel to Lahore after meeting with his lawyers in Islamabad, where he will address a rally prepared for him.

On October 19, the Islamabad High Court granted Nawaz Sharif interim bail until October 24 in two corruption cases for which he was being tried, while another court had suspended the arrest warrant against the former Prime Minister. This paved the way for Sharif's return to the country.

NAWAZ SHARIF HAD GONE TO LONDON IN NOVEMBER 2019

Nawaz Sharif, whose name was mentioned in the "Panama Papers" scandal—where information regarding offshore accounts in Panama was shared—was removed from office by the Constitutional Court in 2017.

After a court order for his detention, Sharif spent 10 months in prison before being released for 2 months in November 2019 for medical treatment due to health issues.

The Supreme Court had ruled that Sharif, who was permitted to leave prison for 8 weeks for treatment, could spend a maximum of 4 weeks of this period abroad, and that this period could be extended upon the request of doctors.

Following this decision, Nawaz Sharif went to England for treatment in November 2019 and settled in London.

In December 2020, the Islamabad High Court declared the former Prime Minister, who did not attend the corruption trials against him, a "fugitive from justice."

Sharif, who appealed against the court rulings against him in order to return to Pakistan, served as prime minister three times, from 1990-1993, 1997-1999, and 2013-2017.

A diplomatic passport was issued to Nawaz Sharif on November 10, 2022, and government officials stated that the legal groundwork for his return to the country had been prepared.

News Source: AA