Metropolis Desk-
The exiled former prime minister Nawaz Sharif can now return to politics after Pakistan’s national assembly approved legislation Tuesday that limits the amount of time MPs can be removed from office.
Sharif held the position of prime minister of Pakistan three times, the final time before his ouster in 2017 due to allegations of corruption.
The Supreme Court permanently prohibited him from politics, and he was later given a seven-year prison term.
He was given medical bail in 2019 and fled to Britain, where he has lived ever since and is still working behind the scenes to administer the family-controlled Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party.
The nation is scheduled to hold new general elections no later than October after his brother Shehbaz Sharif was elected prime minister last year.
A government spokeswoman reported on Tuesday that the legislation restricting how long judges can bar members of parliament from serving was signed into law by the acting president.
According to the spokesman, Senate President Sadiq Sanjrani signed the measure on Monday in the absence of President Arif Alvi, who is away doing the Hajj pilgrimage.
Political analyst Hasan Askari stated that “the ruling PML-N and its coalition partners want to bring Nawaz Sharif back.” “The bill was passed to accomplish this goal.”
In the upcoming election, “Nawaz Sharif will be the main campaigner for PML-N,” he continued. Although it’s unclear if he would run for office, his comeback will be tremendously beneficial to the party politically.
In the bribery case, Sharif was still jailed when his successor, Imran Khan, was in office. Khan won the election on a platform promising to end the nation’s long-standing corruption problem.
However, in Pakistan, political opponents are frequently dragged back into court cases whenever their party takes back power.
Through a vote of no confidence, Shehbaz deposed Khan in April. In contrast, Khan continues to have strong support as voting approaches, and he leads a weak coalition of parties.
Khan has been urging for early elections, but his campaign has gotten mired in several legal disputes.
His brief detention last month in Islamabad on suspicion of corruption led to fatal rioting as PTI party members flocked to the streets and engaged in street combat with police.
PTI has been the target of a crackdown that has resulted in thousands of arrests, reports of intimidation, and press repression following his release after three days in detention.
The PML-N-led administration and the influential military establishment, according to Khan, are suppressing his party.
Source- Arab News
