Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Wednesday held a telephonic conversation with deposed prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif and urged him to return to Pakistan, reports said.
The development comes a day after the opposition alliance announced to postpone the March 26 long march to Islamabad after Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) linked its resignations from the legislative assemblies with Sharif’s return — a condition PML-N termed out of the question.
After spending a year in prison, Sharif, 71, secured a conditional bail in November 2019 to travel to London on the pretext of medical treatment and has since refused to return.
His party insists that despite being summoned by the courts, that declared him a proclaimed offender in separate corruption trials, the former premier will only return after the completion of his medical treatment.
In the conversation with Sharif, Fazl expressed his reservations, suggesting the former prime minister to return to the country, reports citing sources said.
Fazl said with top PML-N leading abroad in self-exile, it was difficult to execute decisions taken by the alliance.
He said the “bitter experience” of election for Senate chairman and deputy chairman was “also an outcome of Shareef not being in the country”. The trust was further damaged when reports emerged claiming the PML-N MPs did not cast vote for the JUI-F candidate, Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, contesting for deputy chairman slot.
The two also discussed the position adopted by the PPP with regard to en masse resignations.
Reports further said Sharif assured Fazl of his cooperation in order to take forward the anti-government campaign through joint efforts in the future.
Both leaders also exchanged views on the political situation and the decisions taken by the opposition alliance.
GOVT READY TO ASSIST ‘EMERGENCY’ RETURN:
Meanwhile, Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed said the government was ready to issue an emergency traveling document to Sharif within 24 hours if he wished to return to Pakistan.
Sharif’s passport had expired in February after the government refused to renew it in an attempt to speed up his extradition from the United Kingdom. The expired document rendered the former prime minister unable to travel anywhere on a Pakistan passport.
“If he wants to return, the government can give him permission within 72 hours,” Ahmed said at the time.
He said Wednesday both the government and interior ministry had never created any hurdle in the passport renewal process, claiming Sharif himself did not approach the authorities concerned to do so.
