The federal government of Pakistan has reportedly issued a diplomatic passport to former PM Nawaz Sharif for a period of 5 years, Dawn reported. Nawaz Sharif is the primary leader of PML-N and the PTI government cancelled his diplomatic password after a court declared him an offender. The PML-N leader’s passport expired back in February 2021, when Pakistan’s government was in the hands of the PTI. Sheikh Rashid, who was Pakistan’s interior minister at that time, refused to issue a new passport to Nawaz Sharif, adding that special travel documents can be issued if Sharif wants to come back to Pakistan.
Nawaz’s PML-N came to power after Imran Khan’s PTI lost a no-confidence vote in April. Just a week after PML-N came to power, a new passport, valid for 10 years, was issued to Nawaz Sharif. Issuance of diplomatic passports to Nawaz Sharif is not something extraordinary as Pakistan has rules and regulations which suggest that Pakistan’s former presidents and prime ministers are entitled to possess a diplomatic passport.
Shehbaz Sharif recently flew to UK to meet his brother Nawaz Sharif
Nawaz Sharif’s younger brother Shehbaz Sharif is the prime minister of Pakistan right now and as per a report from Dawn, both have decided that Nawaz needs to return to Pakistan. PTI’s head Imran Khan is presurissing the Pakistan government to appoint an Army chief that is acceptable to him, but the Sharif brothers have reportedly agreed that the power of appointing a new army chief belongs to the prime minister of Pakistan and that power must not be surrendered at any cost. The Pakistan PM reportedly flew to the UK recently to meet his elder brother to discuss the political scenario in Pakistan.
Nawaz’s three children, Maryam, Hassaan and Hussain were also present for the meeting. According to Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, the political scenario and the appointment of new army chief, both were discussed. Shehbaz Sharif flew to London from Egypt, where he was for the COP27 summit. General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s tenure is going to expire on 29 November 29 and as of now, it is not clear if he will be granted an extension and if not, then who will replace him. As per the Dawn report, PM Shehbaz Sharif is facing pressure from “certain quarters” on the issue of the new army chief’s appointment.