Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s passport will expire tonight, said Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed on Tuesday.
The minister said that a person whose name is on the ECL cannot be issued a new passport.
However, Rasheed said that if the former prime minister wanted to return to Pakistan, permission will be granted to him within 72 hours.
“No one is stopping Nawaz Sharif from returning to Pakistan,” said the minister.
He criticised the former prime minister for taking “unfair advantage” of the high court’s decision. He took unfair advantage to seek medical treatment abroad.
Rasheed said that Sharif had “deceived” everyone by claiming that he needed to go abroad for medical treatment. However, he had not sought any treatment.
The Awami Muslim League chief said that he could do issue the PML-N leader travel documents. “That is all I can do,” he said.
The interior minister, however, admitted that he voted in favor of letting Sharif go abroad to seek medical treatment.
“I won’t lie, I was among those who voted for him to be allowed to fly abroad,” he said. ”
The PTI government has already approached UK authorities to extradite Nawaz Sharif.
Special Assistant to PM Imran Khan on Accountability Shahzad Akbar had said earlier that it is up to the British government to decide on the extradition of the former premier.
In October 2019, the IHC had granted Nawaz bail on humanitarian grounds and allowed him to travel to London. His bail expired in February. Last month, the IHC issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Nawaz. But the warrants were not received by the ex-premier.
Islamabad bureau chief Khalid Azim said once Nawaz Sharif’s passport is cancelled, the legality of his stay in the United Kingdom becomes doubtful.