Nawaz’s reports and PTI’s obsession

In its latest attempt to try and bring PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif back to Pakistan, the ruling party had filed a petition in the Lahore High Court (LHC), seeking legal action against his brother who had submitted an affidavit on behalf of Nawaz before he left for London in 2019. The government had wanted to mount pressure on PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif for submitting a ‘fake’ undertaking that had promised to bring Nawaz back once his medical treatments were completed. But the attempts have backfired, achieving nothing more than some noise.

In a blow to the PM Imran-led government, the detailed medical reports it hopes to seek may not even be available as the PML-N leader has not even gone under the recommended treatments until the time of filing. In fact, the reports recently submitted at the LHC during the hearing of the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case, in which the Sharif family has been accused of money laundering, only advise Nawaz against travelling back.

The three-page report states that Nawaz could develop health-related issues upon his return due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and return to “solitary confinement”. The former PM was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2018 for his involvement in the Panama Papers case. In 2020, the Islamabad High Court had declared him a proclaimed absconder for ‘violating bail terms’. This means the PML-N supremo will have to return to prison upon his arrival in the country.

The ruling PTI’s obsession over Nawaz Sharif’s return has only resulted in it being left red faced as it has been unable to bring the PML-N leader back despite its repeated claims of doing so. It must remember that it was after all PM Imran’s decision to allow him to leave the country on humanitarian grounds. This is not to say that the lack of detailed reports and delay in medical treatments suggested to the former premier are not dubious but with less than two years left for the next general elections, the ruling party should focus on achieving its promises laid down in its manifesto. The developments of the recent past – failing to secure significant seats in the first phase of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa local body polls and rising inflation – have already dented the popularity the PTI once enjoyed. The government should then shift its priorities and work towards focusing on fixing the challenges the people are faced with.