Govt says Nawaz must shun stubbornness, come back

ISLAMABAD: The government on Friday said the PMLN supremo must shun stubbornness and come back to Pakistan, while the PMLN said he would not return before completion of medical treatment in UK.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry mocked the PMLN leader on rejection of his application for extension in his stay in UK. Using his Twitter handle, tagging a tweet by PMLN leader Marriyum Aurangzeb, he asked if Nawaz Sharif had any self-respect and honour. He asked the PMLN leaders having roots in Pakistan to comment on Nawaz Sharif’s efforts to get extension in his stay in UK.

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib said the UK’s refusal to extend the stay of Nawaz Sharif on medical grounds had caused sleep loss to PMLN leadership.

He said the red flag was now in the air for Nawaz Sharif in the country where he had bought palatial Avenfield Apartments from the looted national wealth, which he had laundered from Pakistan. Farrukh Habib said Nawaz Sharif, who was a declared fugitive and absconder, had been living in UK with an expired Pakistani passport. He said Nawaz Sharif’s sentence had been upheld by the court in Pakistan by turning down his appeals in the corruption cases. He advised Nawaz to better relinquish his obstinacy and come back to the country for serving the jail term, given by the court to him in the corruption cases.

Reacting to government statements, the PMLN President and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif criticised the PTI-led government for engaging in "petty politics" over the life of Nawaz Sharif and trying to "malign Pakistan’s reputation" by issuing controversial statements.

Shehbaz Sharif said that "false statements issued in the name of political gains are shameful," adding that such statements malign Pakistan’s reputation abroad.

"The Pakistani government should consider how its negative statements regarding former prime minister Nawaz Sharif reflect on Pakistan’s reputation," said Shehbaz Sharif. He further stated that "politicising Nawaz Sharif's life" is insensitive and inhumane. Regarding Nawaz Sharif’s stay in UK and the possibility of a return to Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif said that it will be decided based on the doctors’ advice.

The PMLN Secretary Information Marriyum Aurangzeb said that Nawaz Sharif will not seek political asylum in UK and he will legally stay in Britain till the Immigration Tribunal decides on the appeal against the verdict of the Home Department.

Addressing the media outside Parliament Lodges, Marriyum said Nawaz Sharif’s health deteriorated while he was in Nab-Niazi alliance’s custody. She reminded that the medical reports and tribunals had said they could not treat Nawaz’s ailment in Pakistan. She said even Imran Khan had verified all these fact after the inspection of doctors from his trusted Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospitals and after all this the provincial and federal governments had sent Nawaz Sharif abroad for treatment after fulfilling all legal requirements.

Marriyum said the request for extension in stay was filed with the Home Department on medical grounds in light of the directions by Nawaz Sharif’s doctors. This, she said, was a routine procedure for anyone who seeks to extend their stay in UK. She pointed out that the Home Department mentioned in its decision that Nawaz had the right to an appeal in the Immigration Tribunal. She told that Nawaz’s lawyers had already filed an appeal. Once this right of appeal is practiced, the decision of the Home Office does not take effect, she stated.

The former information minister said, “Because of all these facts, Nawaz will return to Pakistan only after all of his treatment is completed and the doctors declare that they are 100 percent convinced that traveling back to Pakistan would not negatively impact Nawaz’s health and wellbeing. Any speculation before the decision of the Immigration Tribunal would be premature. This matter is best left to the British Immigration and Nawaz Sharif’s lawyers”.

She said the rented spokespersons of Imran Khan had no interest in the real issues being faced by the people of Pakistan under the PTI’s terrible rule, and they were obsessed with Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif.

She said those who try framing Nawaz in baseless allegations must not forget that Nawaz Sharif left his ailing wife on the death bed and came to Pakistan along with his daughter and went to jail, knowing that all these cases were nothing more than political victimisation.