Federal Minister Javed Latif, speaking in LAHORE, lamented the legal system that granted bails to “those responsible for the 9 May riots,” an apparent reference to PTI leader Imran Khan, and stated that the deck was stacked against former premier Nawaz Sharif’s return to Pakistan.
The comments were made in light of recent legislation that sought to overturn the party supremo’s lifetime ban and rumors that he would return to the political scene just before election season.
Additionally, a series of other laws were established to reduce Nawaz’s legal concerns.
Latif, a cabinet member for a year without a portfolio, expressed doubt on optimistic forecasts of Nawaz’s speedy return, stating that the judicial atmosphere was not conducive to it.
He expressed pessimism about the current situation, saying, “how can one believe that Mian Nawaz Sharif would get justice” when the “person who tried to spread chaos on May 9” was being granted many bails.
But in the same breath, he reiterated that the former prime minister would undoubtedly return before the elections.
Nawaz faces double convictions in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption reference and the Avenfield flats case, in addition to the lifelong disqualification imposed to him in the Panama papers incident.
It was thought that the Nawaz family would have it easy in court after PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz and her husband Capt (ret) Mohammad Safdar were acquitted. He still has to appeal the corruption charge against him at Al-Azizia Steel Mills.
An amendment to the Elections Act of 2017 was submitted to reduce Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification from office from a lifetime to a maximum of five years.
A thorough verdict last month classified the case as political victimization, a judgment that left many perplexed legal experts saying that the judgment will be recalled as an example of faulty jurisprudence. Last month, the former premier was also acquitted in a property allocation case.
Nawaz will head the party’s election effort.
Javed Latif went on to say that Nawaz Sharif would be the party’s political campaign’s head and the country’s next prime minister for the fourth time.
When asked whether the PML-N was waiting for the retirement of Chief Justice of Pakistan Umer Ata Bandial in order to install Qazi Faiz Esa in that position, the minister played coy, instead reiterating that the party chief will return before the polls. But he didn’t give a specific date.
After being found guilty of corruption, Nawaz has been residing in London since November 2019, when he was granted permission to leave Pakistan for medical treatment on the condition that he serve out the remainder of his ten-year sentence in prison.
Nawaz has not returned to Pakistan despite the fact that his brother’s administration has been in power for nearly six months; he wants “assurance of a level playing field,” which many regard as complete immunity from his corruption allegations.
IPP is never criticized by PPP or PML-N.
When asked about IPP President Aleem Khan Tareen’s recent interview, in which he criticized the government for its dismal economic performance, Javed Latif responded that the party had every right to criticize anybody it wanted because it was a new one.
He warned them, though, that the PML-N wasn’t rejoicing over the IMF deal so much as it was rejoicing over the fact that it had prevented the default of Pakistan and saved the country from those who had sent letters urging the IMF not to give the money facility to Pakistan.
Qamar Zaman Kaira, a senior leader of the PPP and a member of the Senate Appropriations and Finance Committee, likewise did not find anything strange about the IPP’s criticism of the government despite the fact that the IPP had two members serving in the federal cabinet.
Qamar defended the party’s right to take any stance it wanted, saying that it was in their political interest to criticize the government at the moment because there was no real opposition after PTI’s forced downfall.
