Nawaz Sharif returns to Pakistan, will appear before NAB court Tuesday

• Hussain Nawaz to also return home
• Former premier holds consultative meeting with his aides at Punjab House

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday reached Pakistan from London on board a PIA flight.

According to reports, Nawaz Sharif would not only appear before the accountability court but is also ready to face any situation upon his arrival back home.

Sharif, who had earlier decided to extend his stay in Britain till the recovery of his ailing wife, took the decision to return immediately, vetoing the advice by his daughter and likely political heiress Maryam Nawaz and his younger brother and Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who had both advised the former PM otherwise.

Several Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders, including National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, PML-N Information Secretary Senator Mushahidullah Khan, State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry and Prime Minister’s Adviser on Aviation Sardar Mehtab Abbasi received Sharif at Benazir Bhutto International Airport.

Later, Nawaz Sharif held an informal consultative meeting with senior PML-N leaders at Punjab House regarding the references against him in the accountability court.

After the meeting, PML-N Senator Asif Kirmani told reporters that Sharif will appear before the accountability court in Islamabad on Tuesday regarding the corruption references filed against him. The former prime minister will hold a press conference after his appearance in the court, he added.

It has also been reported that Hussain Nawaz will also return to Pakistan.

Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif told reporters in London that Nawaz’s decision to return was not taken spontaneously, but had been in the works for some time.

Talking to reporters before departing for Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif criticised the opposition, especially the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), for claiming that the ousted premier had left Pakistan to escape accountability in the references filed against him.

He said that he had only come to London to enquire after the health of his wife.

He questioned the court’s decision of disqualifying him.

“We did not commit any corruption. If this was about Panama [Papers], then why was I disqualified for holding an Iqama?”

He expressed dissatisfaction with the Supreme Court’s handling of his review petitions and said that he had never thought of not returning to Pakistan.

Reportedly, Maryam Nawaz, Shehbaz Sharif and others had convinced the former premier to stay in London and not to return to Pakistan until things settle down back home, however, Nawaz’s legal counsel advised him otherwise.

Back in July, a five-judge Supreme Court bench disqualified then PM Nawaz Sharif in a unanimous verdict in the Panamagate case, thus cutting short his third stint in power.

Soon after the SC judgement, the PM House issued a terse statement, saying that Nawaz Sharif, despite having reservations on the SC’s verdict, has stepped down from his post as the premier.

Following his disqualification, he was also relinquished of his party head stature, however, later the Senate on Friday passed the Electoral Reforms Bill 2017 paving way for the former PM Nawaz Sharif to regain PML-N’s chairmanship.