According to Dawn.com, National Assembly (NA) Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf’s recent reference to an “understanding between the Sharifs and the concerned quarters” has fueled speculation, prompting another senior PPP leader from Punjab to protest against plans to accord ‘official protocol’ to a convict upon his return.
The PPP leader contends that Sharif should complete his jail term before contemplating election participation.
“There is no justification for granting official protocol to convict Nawaz Sharif on his return to Pakistan. If he receives a clean chit from the courts, such facilities should be extended to others,” remarked Hasan Murtaza, PPP’s Punjab general secretary, during a press conference on Saturday.
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Murtaza, accompanied by PPP’s Lahore president Aslam Gill, emphasised that Nawaz Sharif should fulfill his jail term upon arrival and only consider electoral participation thereafter.
Nawaz Sharif, who left for London in 2019 citing ‘medical grounds’ in the midst of his seven-year jail term for the Al-Azizia corruption case, is set to return to Pakistan on Oct 21. During his absence, he was declared a proclaimed offender in Al-Azizia and Avenfield graft cases.
Meanwhile, Hasan Murtaza highlighted Sharif’s legal complexities and criminal conviction, advising both Nawaz Sharif and Jamat Ulema-e-Islaam (JUI) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman against acting as spokespersons for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). Critiquing the caretaker government, Murtaza accused it of neglecting its primary responsibility of holding general elections. He condemned the arrest of teachers, asserting that the caretaker government lacked the mandate to interfere with teachers’ benefits.
As PML-N formally applies for permission to hold a public meeting at Minar-i-Pakistan on October 21, concerns about the law and order situation loom.
The district administration is reportedly reviewing the applications of both PML-N and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) for public meetings, reflecting the heightened political tension in the region.
