KARACHI:
Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi on Saturday said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif would be treated according to the law upon his return to the country, adding that the former prime minister went to London with the authorisation of the government on medical grounds — a decision ex-premier Imran Khan termed as his “biggest mistake”.
Addressing a press conference at the Karachi Press Club, he said that Nawaz Sharif, who is set to return to the country on October 21, did not escape from jail but was allowed by the then government and the Lahore High Court (LHC) to go abroad.
The reference was made to the year 2019 when Nawaz Sharif, who had been sentenced to prison in Avenfield and Al-Azizia cases, provided a written undertaking to the LHC, committing to return to Pakistan once his health improved.
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A medical board established by the then government also corroborated the medical report submitted by Nawaz’s personal physician, Dr Adnan Khan, which had recommended allowing Nawaz to travel abroad for proper treatment due to his deteriorating health while in Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore, where he was diagnosed with an “immune system disorder”.
PML-N has announced Nawaz’s return to the country next month, putting an end to his almost four-year self-imposed exile.
The minister, in today’s presser, also extended his support to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to conduct fair elections, saying that the interim setup would fulfil all the requirements in the facilitation process as it was obliged to under its constitutional responsibility.
In the context of past bitter experiences of deferred elections, the minister acknowledged the lack of clarity regarding holding elections on time, once again reiterating that the interim government was here to complete the transition phase and hand over the government to whichever party gets elected by the people of Pakistan.
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The minister also slammed “some people” for deliberately creating confusion for vested interest regarding the election date, adding that there was no room to believe in hearsays after the ECP had stated the possibility of holding polls by the end of January, next year.
The minister said that the ECP was responsible for conducting free, fair, transparent and impartial elections under Article 218(3) of the Constitution. The minister said that the delimitation of constituencies would be completed by the end of November.
Solangi hints reduction in POL prices
In response to a question about the prices of petroleum products, the interim minister held that the prices of petroleum products were determined by the prices in the world market.
He expressed hope that the prices of petroleum products would decrease in the coming days. To a question related to non-payment of salaries to media workers and journalists, the minister categorically stated that government advertisements would not be issued to those media houses which did not pay salaries to their employees.
Source link: https://tribune.com.pk/story/2437390/nawaz-went-to-london-with-govts-permission-to-be-treated-as-per-law-upon-return-solangi