Reuters reported that Mr. Sharif, 73, was scheduled to hold a rally on October 21 in his hometown of Lahore, in eastern Pakistan. Earlier, his plane landed in the Pakistani capital Islamabad with more than 150 people from his party and media organizations.
At the Islamabad airport lounge, Mr. Sharif signed and filed an appeal against the sentence the court handed him before he left the country four years ago. After completing the formalities, the former leader flew to Lahore.
Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (center) signs papers at Islamabad airport on October 21.
People from different parts of Pakistan had poured into Lahore ahead of Mr Sharif’s arrival. A police source said a heavy police presence had been deployed to secure the rally venue.
Mr Sharif has not returned to Pakistan since going to London in 2019 for medical treatment while serving a 14-year prison sentence for corruption. His sentence remains in effect, but a court on October 19 banned authorities from arresting him until October 24, when he is scheduled to appear in court.
Although he is currently unable to run for office because of his conviction, his legal team has said he plans to appeal and his party has revealed he wants to become prime minister for a fourth time.
Mr Sharif’s biggest challenge will be to win back support from his main rival, former Prime Minister Khan. Despite being in prison after losing the premiership in 2022, Mr Khan remains popular with the public.
Mr Khan is also currently ineligible to run in next year's election because of a conviction in August for corruption, although he has appealed.
Shehbaz Sharif, Nawaz Sharif's younger brother, became head of Pakistan's coalition government after Khan was ousted. But in the 16 months since Shehbaz Sharif took office, Pakistan's economic crisis has deepened, with inflation rising more than 31% in September compared to the same month a year earlier.
"We are completely ready for the elections... Our country should have been at the peak of prosperity but it has gone backwards... Why has it come to this?", Mr. Nawaz Sharif told reporters before flying from Dubai to Islamabad, according to AFP.
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