ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif returned to Pakistan from London on Monday, putting to rest all speculation by political rivals.
He had left for the UK about a month ago to see his wife Kulsoom Nawaz, who is undergoing cancer treatment.
All other members of his family, including daughter Maryam and sons Hussain and Hassan, are also in London and none of them accompanied the ex-PM on his return.
Sharif boarded a PIA flight from London in the early hours of Monday and arrived in Islamabad at around 7:30am.
National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, PML-N information secretary Sen¬ator Mushahidullah Khan, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry and Prime Minister’s Adviser on Aviation Sardar Mehtab Abbasi were among the several party leaders who received Sharif at Benazir Bhutto International Airport.
Sharif later held an informal meeting with senior PML-N leaders at Punjab House for consultations on his appearance before the accountability court.
Following the meeting, PML-N Senator Asif Kirmani told reporters that Sharif will appear before the accountability court in Islamabad today (Tuesday) in connection with the corruption references filed against him. He said the former prime minister will hold a press conference after his appearance in the court.
Media reports said that Hussain Nawaz will also return to Pakistan, since he doesn’t want it to seem as if he is evading court proceedings.
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who is also in London for consultations on political matters, visited his elder brother’s residence to see him off.
The younger Sharif told the media that the decision to return was not taken spontaneously, but had been in the works for some time.
