Nawaz to return in Sept: Javed Latif

LAHORE: Federal minister and senior PMLN leader Javed Latif confirmed Monday that PMLN supremo Nawaz Sharif will return to the country in September to represent the people.

In a press conference alongside Punjab PMLN spokesperson Azma Bukhari, Javed Latif said that the doctors have announced their decision and Nawaz will come back in line with their call.

“The doctors change their opinion with time. The people are his doctors; the nation has announced its decision that Nawaz Sharif should come back,” Latif said. In 2018, an accountability court sentenced Nawaz to seven years in prison in Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption reference, while he was also sentenced to a total of 11 years in prison and slapped a £8 million fine (Rs1.3 billion) in the Avenfield properties reference.

Subsequently, in 2019, the Lahore High Court (LHC) after suspending his sentence, allowed Nawaz to go abroad for medical treatment. He departed for London on November 19, 2019, and since then, he never returned to the country.

Latif’s statement came after PTI Chairman Imran Khan, during his address to his party’s jalsa in Lahore, claimed that a conspiracy was being hatched to disqualify him in the Toshakhana and prohibited funding cases to pave the way for Nawaz’ return from London.

“They have made a new plan to register new cases and disqualify him in Toshakhana and prohibited funding cases,” Imran had said. “Under the conspiracy, Nawaz will be brought back to the country by the end of September […] and a character assassination campaign will be launched to malign me,” Imran had noted in the address.

Earlier, in his press conference, Javed Latif castigated the PTI chairman, saying that “characters” like Khan have played their roles over the course of history. “Quaid-e-Millat Liaquat Ali Khan was shot dead and to date, nobody knows who shot him dead; Madar-e-Millat Fatima Jinnah was declared a traitor and General Ayub Khan stole her elections; Nawaz Sharif was declared a hijacker and sentenced.”

He also took a jibe at former Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar, saying that Imran Khan alone isn’t to blame, as the judge was also hands in gloves with him — as he gave him the certificate of “sadiq and amin”. However, Latif noted that the PMLN always respects the judiciary and will continue to do so.