ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior has decided not to renew thepassport of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif while rejecting the latter’srequest.
Nawaz, who has been declared absconder by a Pakistani court after he didnot return to the country from London to attend hearing of cases, hadapproached the government through the Pakistan High Commission in London onFebruary 15 — a day before the expiry of his passport.
The high commission forwarded Nawaz’s letter to the Ministry of ForeignAffairs, from where it was sent to the Ministry of Interior.
In response to his request, the interior ministry said that no new passportwill be issued to absconding Nawaz Sharif since it is not a fundamentalright of a citizen.
However, it said that special documents could be offered to the formerpremier if he wants to fly back to Pakistan.
The ministry said that Emergency Travel Document (ETD) may be issued toNawaz Sharif once he produces “prior bookings of travel to Pakistan throughPIA only”.
Read Top Stories
Nawaz, a three-time former premier, is in the UK for medical treatment. Hewas sentenced to seven and 10 years in prison in the Al-Azizia Steel Millsand Avenfield flats references respectively. The former premier’s sentencein the Al-Azizia reference was suspended. He has filed an appeal seekingits annulment.
The 71-year-old was granted bail for eight weeks by the IHC in October 2019for his treatment abroad. His bail expired in February 2020. In November2020, the Islamabad High Court issued non-bailable arrest warrants forNawaz.
The interior ministry stated that the former prime minister was nowrequired to serve his remaining sentence at Kot Lakhpat jail Lahore.
“Yet, rather than obeying the dictates of the court and abiding by theconditions precedent in the bail granting order, he fled the country toavoid prosecution,” it said in a letter said.
