Leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif returned to Pakistan on Sunday after spending around seven weeks in London. Sharif left the country on medical grounds after his name was removed from the exit control list (ECL). His tour was said to be quite short for the purpose of medical treatment, but he spent almost two months which promoted speculations that he might not fly back. The speculations seemed true when the leading opposition party PML-N decided to remove the party president from the chairmanship of the Public Accounts Committee.
Denying all the speculation, Sharif landed on Allama Iqbal International Airport via PIA’s PK758 on Sunday. Party workers who reached the airport early morning gave him a warm welcome by showering flower petals on him and by raising party slogans. Some enthusiastic workers even tried to enter into prohibited space but the situation was wisely handled by the Airport Security Force (ASF).
Shahbaz Sharif has returned at a time when the government is just about to announce the annual budget for the next financial year. Senior party leader, Maryam Aurangzeb commented that “the fear of Shehbaz’s return has made the prime minister hide in the mountains, while his spokespersons are dead silent.”
Ahsan Iqbal also commented on the situation that, “This is a day of joy for us and mourning for the government”. Despite the comments and remarks, no senior leader went to the airport to receive the party president.
Former CM Punjab was arrested in October 2018, but he moved to London soon after he got bail from the Lahore High Court. He is currently facing corruption and dishonesty charges in Ashiana Housing Scandal and Ramzan Sugar Mills Case, in which he has caused losses of millions of rupees to the national exchequer.
