Tag: London

  • Nawaz Sharif ready to start election campaign on November 10

    Nawaz Sharif ready to start election campaign on November 10

    Former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) head, Nawaz Sharif, is ready to start his party’s election campaign on November 10, as the date for the polls looms nearer.

    The former PM, who returned to Pakistan on October 21 after almost four years of self-imposed exile in London, said in the party’s meeting yesterday that, “We will strengthen judicial institutions if we come into power.”

    Sharif chaired an in-person party meeting on Tuesday, after a gap of almost four years.

    According to party sources who talked to Geo News, the PML-N supremo will lead the election campaign and monitor the ticket distribution process for the upcoming general elections, scheduled to be held at the end of January next year.

    The party’s general secretary, Ahsan Iqbal, said, “It is our wish that Nawaz Sharif becomes the country’s next prime minister.”

  • PML-N competent enough to solve country’s problems, says Nawaz Sharif

    PML-N competent enough to solve country’s problems, says Nawaz Sharif

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has stated that he is returning back to Pakistan after “vindication”, expressing confidence in his party’s ability to navigate the country through its current challenges.

    “I am returning to Pakistan after being vindicated with the grace of Almighty Allah,” he said on Saturday while speaking to the journalists at Dubai airport ahead of Pakistan departure.

    The three time former prime minister is coming back to Pakistan after voluntarily living in self-imposed exile in London for four years. He aims to stage a political comeback in the forthcoming general elections, which are expected to take place in the last week of January next year.
    The ex-Prime Minister expressed confidence that his party can address the concerns of the public if they are elected into power. When asked about the upcoming general elections, Nawaz offered support to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

    “Only the Election Commission can make a better decision regarding the elections. What the Election Commission thinks is right is my preference on the elections,” said Nawaz when he was asked about the January polls.

  • A timeline of Nawaz Sharif’s fall from power and return to Pakistan

    A timeline of Nawaz Sharif’s fall from power and return to Pakistan

    Former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif got disqualified when the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) announced its decision on July 28, 2017 in the Panama Papers case.

    After that, Nawaz Sharif and three of his children were referred to an accountability court, which was ordered to file corruption cases against Sharif’s family within six weeks.

    In July 2018, the expelled prime minister was imprisoned for 10 years in Avenfield properties corruption case, an assets-beyond-means trial.

    Nawaz’s sentence then got extended to one more year for not cooperating with National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the same case.

    His daughter, PML-N Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz, had initially received a seven-year jail sentence in the same case. However, she was subsequently acquitted in September 2022, along with her husband, (retd) Captain Safdar.

    In Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption case, the PML-N supremo was sentenced to seven years in jail on December 24, 2018. Nawaz Sharif was taken to Adiala jail in this case, and then he got shifted to Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail on the very next day. He was also fined Rs1.5 billion and US$25 million in this case.

    The former prime minister was released from jail in March 2019. After that, Lahore High Court (LHC) allowed Nawaz Sharif to go to London for treatment for fast depleting platelets levels, and then he left for London in November 2019.

    When he didn’t come back to Pakistan for almost a year, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) declared him a fugitive.

    On September 9, 2021, PML-N leader Javed Latif claimed that Nawaz Sharif will come back to Pakistan within the year, but that return didn’t work out.

    Latif, a PML-N MNA, was talking to media after visiting NAB’s Joint Investigation Team for a graft inquiry.

    On November 12, 2022, a PML-N party insider expressed confidence that Sharif will be back in Pakistan next month in December, but that didn’t happen either.

    Once again, on August 15, 2022, Javed Latif claimed that Nawaz Sharif will come back to Pakistan in September, as doctors had allowed him to travel.

    “The doctors change their opinion with time. The people are his doctors; the nation has announced its decision that Nawaz Sharif should come back,” Latif added.

    In June 2023, one of the well-informed sources within PML-N also claimed that Nawaz Sharif will come back to Pakistan next month, in July 2023.

    The former prime minister and PML-N president, Shehbaz Sharif, has confirmed multiple times in the last few months that Nawaz Sharif is coming back on October 21, 2023.

    The PML-N supremo left London for Saudi Arabia on October 11 and performed Umrah there. Nawaz Sharif is currently in Dubai and will land in Pakistan on October 21.

    Meanwhile, the IHC has approved Nawaz Sharif’s plea on Thursday, providing him with bail in the Avenfield and Al-Azizia cases until October 24.

  • Nawaz Sharif performs Umrah with son Hussain Nawaz

    Nawaz Sharif performs Umrah with son Hussain Nawaz

    Former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) head, Nawaz Sharif, who was in London since the last three years in self-imposed exile, performed Umrah in Saudi Arabia on Thursday.

    The PML-N supremo travelled from London to Saudi Arabia with his son Hussain Nawaz and close friends, to perform Umrah together.

    Nawaz Sharif will go to Dubai from the Kingdom, where he will stay for three days. After that, the former president will fly to Pakistan on October 21 to address a gathering at Minar-e-Pakistan. He will also explain his agenda to the people of Pakistan for the upcoming general elections.

    Sharif was accompanied on the Saudi visit by his close friend Mian Nasir Janjua, aide Waqar Ahmed, Karim Yousaf, and a few others.

    According to a report filed by Geo News, the flight carrying Nawaz home will be named ‘Umeed-e-Pakistan’. It can carry approximately 150 passengers.

  • Chartered plane booked for Nawaz Sharif’s return on October 21

    Chartered plane booked for Nawaz Sharif’s return on October 21

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) head and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif will travel on a chartered plane to reach Pakistan from Dubai on October 21.

    According to a report filed by Geo News, the flight carrying Nawaz will be named ‘Umeed-e-Pakistan’. It can carry approximately 150 passengers.

    The former prime minister will leave Dubai for Pakistan on October 21, along with senior and close party members. Nawaz Sharif’s flight will land in Islamabad for a 30 minute long stay, with the PML-N supremo then flying to Lahore to address a gathering at Minar-e-Pakistan.

    Before the final leg of the journey, Nawaz Sharif will reach Saudi Arabia on Wednesday and perform Umrah there. He will stay in Saudi Arabia for a week and hold important meetings.

    Earlier, former finance minister Ishaq Dar said there is no chance of Nawaz’s arrest upon his arrival in the country.

    Dar also said that PML-N’s narrative will be about the economy, adding that, “recovery of the economy is the best revenge.”

  • Is Nawaz Sharif leaving the London office?

    Is Nawaz Sharif leaving the London office?

    Former Pakistan Prime Minister and leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Nawaz Sharif, announced that October 6 is his last day at the London office, indicating his imminent departure to Pakistan.

    While talking to journalists, Nawaz Sharif expressed his gratitude to all reporters who have covered his activities in London, regardless of their stance, be it in favor or against him.

    Recognizing the pivotal role journalism plays in society, Nawaz Sharif stressed the significance of the public’s reliance on journalists’ opinions. He underscored the importance of journalists avoiding sensationalism and defamation, instead calling for constructive criticism and reform.

    Notably, Nawaz Sharif questioned the effectiveness of protests staged by Pakistanis in London over the past four years, particularly those involving figures like Maryam Aurangzeb. He suggested that if people wished to engage in protests, they should do so within Pakistan.

    During a press conference in Lahore, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif stressed that the question regarding Nawaz’s return shouldn’t be repeated since he will be coming back.

    He also redefined the party’s slogan of ‘vote ko izzat do’.

    “Giving respect to the ballot doesn’t mean it is an anti-establishment slogan. It means serving the voters,” he said, asking whether raising anti-establishment slogans would help overcome the people’s problems.

    He also clarified a comment which was “wrongly attributed” to him. “I had never said that I am a darling of the (military) establishment. Actually, a journalist during a media interaction the other day had said that I had been a darling of the establishment for decades.”

    It is pertinent to know that the former three-time prime minister will return to Pakistan on October 21 and address a public gathering at 6 p.m. at Minar-e-Pakistan on the same day, senior PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah revealed on Tuesday.

  • Is Nawaz Sharif ‘fit’ to travel to Pakistan?

    Is Nawaz Sharif ‘fit’ to travel to Pakistan?

    Just days ahead of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s anticipated return to Pakistan, a new medical report has been submitted to the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday by the legal team of the former Prime Minister, Geo has said.

    Nawaz Sharif, the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), had been granted permission by the LHC in November 2019 to travel abroad for medical treatment based on his deteriorating health.

    Since then, Nawaz Sharif has resided in London. The court, meanwhile, has ordered him to regularly submit medical reports to keep authorities updated about his health conditions.

    In September 2023, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif announced that his elder brother would be ending his self-imposed exile of four years and returning to Pakistan on October 21.

    The latest medical report, filed by Nawaz Sharif’s legal team, features insights from Professor Carlo di Mario of London’s Royal Brompton Hospital, who has been providing medical care to the former Prime Minister throughout his stay in London over the past years.

    Professor Carlo di Mario, an expert in Interventional Cardiology, detailed Nawaz Sharif’s medical history, stating, “We initially attempted medical treatment, strengthening his antianginal therapy.”

    However, due to persistent anginal symptoms and the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the decision was made to perform an angioplasty in November 2022 to cure a blocked left circumflex artery.

    The procedure included rotational atherectomy, intravascular lithotripsy, and the deployment of multiple stents under IVUS guidance. Despite these interventions, the medical report indicates that Nawaz Sharif still experiences some residual anginal symptoms, and continuous monitoring is recommended.

    The report also highlights the complexity of Nawaz Sharif’s medical condition, mentioning “diffuse distal coronary disease in a patient with diabetes and multiple other comorbidities that would require frequent follow-up investigations both in London and Pakistan.”

    With this fresh medical report submitted to the Lahore High Court, Nawaz Sharif’s health status remains a focal point as the date of his return to Pakistan draws nearer.

  • Is Shahid Khaqan saying ‘Acha chalta hu’ to PMLN?

    Is Shahid Khaqan saying ‘Acha chalta hu’ to PMLN?

    Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi met Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) head Nawaz Sharif in London, emphasizing that he has maintained a 35-year relationship with the party, and these ties go beyond political considerations.

    The two-hour-long meeting happened a few days after Abbasi announced that there was a need for a new political party in Pakistan, claiming that the existing parties, including PMLN, PTI, and PPP, had failed.

    While talking to media after the meeting, Khaqan Abbasi dispelled rumors about forming a new political party, saying: “I only talked about forming the new party, but I did not make one.”

    He said: “There is a dire need to compensate for the injustices that happened with Nawaz Sharif. I have had an association with Nawaz Sharif since the last 35 years. I and Nawaz Sharif exchanged views on the country’s political situation.”

    When asked if he discussed Re-Imagining Pakistan or the new party with Nawaz, Shahid Abbasi said he discussed every matter with him and “gave my opinion”.

    “Nawaz Sharif is the senior-most politician of Pakistan today. He understands things like no one else. I believe he should take the whole nation forward with him and forget a lot of things that have happened in the past. We discussed everything that we needed to and we have done so always. There are things we agree on and something we disagree on,” he told The News.

    A senior PMLN source said Khaqan Abbasi had been breaking party discipline for many months, and it was clear he had moved on from the party. The source said that Abbasi had made it clear he wants to launch a new party or be part of it when it is formed. “It’s just a matter of time before this party is launched by Shahid Khaqan, Miftah Ismail and Mustafa Khokhar as a new force. The fate it will meet is another matter.”

    The former premier said Nawaz Sharif’s court-related matters – including Iqama disqualification – should have been settled before his departure to Pakistan. He said Nawaz Sharif was victimized by the courts and deserves justice.

  • Why did A National TV reporter hurl abuse at PTI supporters?

    Why did A National TV reporter hurl abuse at PTI supporters?

    Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi met Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) head Nawaz Sharif in London, emphasizing that he has maintained a 35-year relationship with the party, and these ties go beyond political considerations.

    After the two-hour-long meeting, Shahid Khaqan talked to the media outside Nawaz’s residence. During the conversation, PTI supporters started raising slogans against him.

    While a reporter from Samaa was trying to interview Abbasi, PTI supporters came near them in a car and started chanting, “Kaun Bachaye Ga Pakistan, Imran Khan, Imran Khan”. Abbasi responded with a simple “Khuda Hafiz”.

    This would’ve been fine, but then the Samaa reporter started shooing the PTI supporters off, eventually swearing at them.
    Watch the video to see what happened.

  • 15-year-old British school girl murdered while trying to protect friend

    15-year-old British school girl murdered while trying to protect friend

    A 15-year-old school girl has been stabbed to death in South London by a 17-year-old boy on Wednesday when she was on her way to school. According to the Evening Standard, the crime took place near Croydon’s Whitgift shopping sector, when the boy arrived at a bus stop to give flowers to his former girlfriend- a friend of the victim.

    The friend rejected the flowers after which an argument rose between the two, leading to the victim intervening. The murderer then pulled out a foot-long knife and stabbed her to death.

    The Metropolitan Police arrested the murderer within 75 minutes in New Addington and placed him under custody. Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley called the murder “senseless” and “impossible to comprehend”, adding that officers arrived within two minutes at the scene of the crime to provide first aid to the victim.

    The BBC reported Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said that he was “absolutely heartbroken” by the murder, stressing that he would remain in touch with the Met Police commissioner.

    Friends and family members of the victim have described the school girl as a bright pupil who had a promising future ahead of her. Family friend Adama Dumbuya, told Sky News the victim was a lovely little girl.

    “It’s just really sad. She was such a lovely little girl. I’m a parent myself. She was just really lovely the few times I’ve met her. She’s just a very nice girl and very polite.”

    The victim’s aunt Marian described her as an aspiring lawyer:

    “She went to a private school paid by my sister and had a great future ahead of her. She wanted to be a lawyer. She also loved gymnastics and doing her hair. We are a big family and will support each other. We are devastated.”

    “We can’t comprehend the heartbreak of the last 24 hours. She went to school and didn’t come home. It hasn’t sunk in. My sister is not feeling good, this is a tragedy.”