Pakistan's self-exiled former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif returns home ahead of a parliamentary vote
Oct 21, 2023
Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has returned home on a chartered plane from Dubai, ending four years of self-imposed exile in London as he seeks to win the support of voters in parliamentary elections due in January
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif arrived home Saturday on a chartered plane from Dubai, ending four years of self-imposed exile in London as he seeks to rally supporters ahead of parliamentary elections due in January.
Sharif, who was elected prime minister three times, is expected to face tough competition from the party of the former premier and his main rival, Imran Khan. Khan was ousted
in a no-confidence vote in April 2022
and is imprisoned after a court convicted and sentenced him to three years in a graft case.Sharif has been a fugitive since he failed to appear before a Pakistani court in 2019 following his conviction and a 10-year prison sentence on corruption charges.
Khan, at the time, had allowed him to travel abroad to receive medical treatment after
complaining of chest pains.
Sharif later prolonged his stay in London, saying his doctors were not allowing him to return to Pakistan.A Pakistani federal court on Thursday granted him several days of protection in graft cases, clearing the way for his return.
At Islamabad's airport Saturday, legal advisers and senior members of Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League party gave him a warm welcome. He then flew to Lahore, where tens of thousands of supporters gathered at a public park to greet him. In a speech there, he said he was forgiving all those who caused harm to him in the past.
“I have no intention to take revenge on anyone,” he said in his televised speech.
Sharif also announced his plan for reviving the country's ailing economy. He said his party would end unemployment, ensure a reduction in inflation and “smash the begging bowl” to avoid reliance on foreign loans. Sharif said he wanted to work with all the state institutions for the betterment of the country.
Sharif also spoke about the political victimization he said he faced after his ouster in 2017. He compared the past performance of his government with his successor Khan, saying the life of the common man was much better when he served the nation as the prices of fuel, electricity and food were affordable.
His comments came as Pakistan struggles with a deepening political turmoil and one of its worst economic crises. In Lahore, Sharif's supporters decorated the city with his photos and party flags.
“Today I am going to Pakistan after four years and I am feeling very happy with the grace of Allah," Sharif told reporters before leaving for Islamabad from Dubai. He had arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Friday from Saudi Arabia after traveling there last week from London.
He said Pakistan's economy and political situation both declined in recent years, according to multiple videos shared by his party on X, formerly Twitter.
But he added: “As I have said earlier, I leave everything to God.” He said he made more than 150 court appearances after his ouster in 2017.
Thursday's decision by the Islamabad High Court to allow for his return was a major boost for Sharif and his party, which is struggling to counter the popularity of Khan, who remains the leading opposition figure.
Sharif is also facing multiple legal challenges. In 2020, an anti-graft court in Islamabad issued a warrant for his arrest after he failed to return home. The same court on Thursday suspended that arrest warrant until Oct. 24. Another federal court has granted Sharif bail until Oct. 24, giving him protection from arrest until then.
Last month, Sharif claimed that the country’s former powerful army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa and spy chief Faiz Hameed orchestrated his ouster in 2017. He had troubled relations with the military.
His party became hugely unpopular after Khan's removal, when Nawaz Sharif's brother, Shehbaz Sharif, replaced Khan, a former cricketer turned politician.
Shehbaz, whose tenure ended in August, failed to improve the economy, though he saved Pakistan from default.
A caretaker government is currently in power and it will hold the vote in January.
___
Associated Press writer Babar Dogar contributed to this story from Lahore, Pakatan.
MORE NEWS
Even UFC champ Zhang Weili under pressure to find boyfriend from pushy Chinese parents
Even Asia’s first UFC world champion, Zhang Weili, cannot escape the pressure of Chinese parents pushing her to get married. A year ago, Zhang, now 37, said she was glad her family was not rushing her to marry, preferring to focus on her fighting career and leave relationships to fate. But in an interview posted on social media this week, Zhang revealed her parents grew deeply concerned about her love life during the first half of the year, saying they were “pushing really hard”. In the...
Inside the PLA’s new austerity drive: lean, mean, printing-on-both-sides machine
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is distributing second-hand briefcases, salvaging screws and steel bars, and reusing holiday decorations to keep costs down as part of a thrift campaign emphasising growth through frugality. It forms part of a broader cost-cutting effort in the Chinese military under Beijing’s 15th five-year plan covering 2026 to 2030, which calls for building the armed forces through “diligence and thrift” and pursuing a path of “high efficiency, low cost and...
Chinese scholars warned of challenge of ‘translating academic research into policy’
Chinese academic courses designed to deepen understanding of different countries or regions face a challenge in better informing policy and moving beyond frameworks developed in the West, a conference in Beijing has heard. Speakers said that as the country’s international engagement deepened, it needed a better understanding of the nations it engaged with, including their political systems, histories and strategic priorities. The discipline – known in China as “area studies” – draws on...
Chinese scientists dissatisfied with jobs but optimistic about future, survey says
Chinese scientists are less satisfied with their jobs than researchers in any other major country, according to a survey that also found they are more optimistic about their careers than their counterparts in the United States and Britain. Only 51 per cent of the 157 respondents from China said they were satisfied with their jobs, according to the survey published this month in the British scientific journal Nature, down 24 per cent from 2018. The survey drew 3,882 respondents from 133...
In Michigan Senate race, Trump’s softer China tone gives candidates room to look elsewhere
Two years ago, Mike Rogers stood before the Republican National Convention and warned that it was “impossible to build an EV without getting into bed with the Communist Party of China”. The former US House Intelligence Committee chairman made opposition to Chinese investment a prominent theme of his 2024 Senate bid in Michigan, which he narrowly lost to Democrat Elissa Slotkin. Now, as Rogers runs again, US President Donald Trump’s softer approach towards Beijing has given candidates more room...
Asian Champions Trophy: Harmanpreet Singh, Sukhjeet Singh Star As India Outclass China 5-2
Harmanpreet Singh and Sukhjeet Singh struck two goals each as India defeated China 5-2 to make it two victories in two games at the Asian Champions Trophy.
Teen Star Anmol Kharb Shocks Christophersen; Sindhu, Lakshya March On At Hylo Open
Anmol Kharb continued her dream run at the Hylo Open with a brilliant comeback victory over world No. 12 Line Christophersen to reach the quarter-finals.
Could Madih Talal Follow Ryan Williams' Path To India? 'For Me, If They Want, They Can...'
French-Moroccan midfielder Madih Talal hasn't ruled out representing India one day, saying that he is willing to talk if approached.
US bans Chinese labs from testing electronics ahead of Trump-Xi meeting
The United States on Thursday banned all Chinese laboratories from testing electronic devices destined for the US market, just weeks before US President Donald Trump is due to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to bar testing laboratories and certification bodies in China and other economies that lack a “mutual recognition agreement” or reciprocal trade agreement with the...
Cristiano Ronaldo Sends Classy Message After Edging Lionel Messi In BOAT Vote
Cristiano Ronaldo thanked fans worldwide after his 2008 Manchester United season was voted the greatest Ballon d'Or-winning campaign of all time.
China tests powerful AI that could one day be used on submarines
China has showcased artificial intelligence (AI) technology alongside 7,000-metre (23,000-feet) deep-sea trials of its upgraded Jiaolong submersible, highlighting the potential for similar systems to support decision-making and emergency responses aboard nuclear-powered submarines. The Chinese crewed submersible reached a maximum depth of 7,056.9 metres during three dives in the Philippine Basin in the western Pacific Ocean, according to state news agency Xinhua on October 27. The trials...
New images suggest China’s fourth aircraft carrier could launch in 2027, analysts say
China’s fourth aircraft carrier, widely believed to be the country’s first with a nuclear-powered system, could launch as early as next year, according to US researchers, as Beijing pursues a fleet capable of projecting naval and air power far beyond its shores. A launch in 2027 would coincide with the centenary of the People’s Liberation Army, with the anniversary falling on August 1. Beijing has previously used major military anniversaries to showcase developments in its armed forces. The...