Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Rana Sanaullah, announced that former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will return from London to supervise the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party’s electoral campaign as soon as the electoral preparations for the general elections begin. Sharif has been living in London for medical treatment since November 2019 after he was allowed a four-week reprieve from serving a seven-year imprisonment in the Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore in the Al-Azizia corruption case.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered that elections in the politically crucial Punjab province be held on May 14, but Sanaullah made it clear that the elections would not be held on that date despite “all-out efforts” of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led by former prime minister Imran Khan. Holding provincial elections has taken center stage in Pakistani politics as Khan has been pushing for snap elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.
The current term of the National Assembly will complete its five-year term in August this year, and according to the Constitution, elections shall be held within 90 days after the dissolution of the lower house. This means that the election must be held by mid-October. Despite the Supreme Court’s order to hold elections in Punjab on May 14 as well as pressure from the PTI, Sanaullah said that elections would be held together under the caretaker setup.
Sanaullah called former prime minister Khan a “fitna” (chaos) and claimed that he was brought to power through a “conspiracy.” He also blamed the PTI’s policies over four years for creating a crisis situation for the country. Sanaullah said that load-shedding and terrorism were eradicated during the PML-N tenure, but due to the PTI’s “wrong” policies, the country is now facing multiple crises.
