Nawaz won’t return until he gets fair trial, says Zubair

KARACHI: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif will not return to Pakistan unless he is promised a fair trial, his spokesman, former Sindh governor Mohammad Zubair has said.

Speaking to Geo Pakistan on Thursday, Zubair was asked if the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo was planning on returning to the country after being declared a proclaimed offender by the Islamabad High Court, he responded saying Sharif would not return until he is promised a fair trial.

“The PML-N does not have to prove its courage or principles to anyone,” he added. Zubair said it was yet to be decided whether the PML-N supremo would address the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) rally in Lahore on December 13. He said the opposition was not looking to take permission of the government to hold a public gathering.

On former finance minister Ishaq Dar’s much scrutinised appearance on BBC’s HARDtalk, Zubair said it was a “personal decision”. “It is his [Dar] right to give an interview,” said the former Sindh governor.

The interview in question has made Dar on the receiving end of intense social media scrutiny. Dar had also claimed that he owned only one property in Pakistan — which has been seized by the government on court orders.

But Zubair argued that reaction to the interview was one-sided. “There are two aspects: the one regarding his wealth statement which we cannot comment on since it is a matter between Dar and the tax authorities. The other is what Dar said about Pakistan’s economy which has been ignored by the media,” he said. The PML-N leader said Dar showed the “reality” of Imran Khan and his government by comparing the country’s economic situation in 2018 and now.