THE first phase of a historic accountability trial of former prime minister and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and his children may end with further confusion and uncertainty about the legal and political fate of Mr Sharif.
In comments to the media in London yesterday, Mr Sharif has indicated his preference to return to Pakistan after his ailing wife, Kulsoom Nawaz, regains consciousness.
With no clarity on when her condition is likely to improve, Mr Sharif has requested the NAB court to reserve its judgement in the first of three accountability references against him until he can return to Pakistan and is present in the court to hear the verdict.
With the NAB court scheduled to announce its verdict tomorrow, it remains to be seen if Mr Sharif’s request will be entertained. Certainly, both Mr Sharif and the NAB court are in a difficult situation.
The NAB court must comply with the orders of the Supreme Court to wrap up the accountability trials at the earliest. In addition, regardless of what the verdict in the first reference against Mr Sharif is, it is likely to affect the PML-N’s poll campaign and perhaps the election outcome itself.
Meanwhile, Kulsoom Nawaz’s medical condition is undeniably serious and Mr Sharif’s desire to see his wife conscious before he returns to Pakistan, where he could be jailed immediately, is understandable.
Yet, Mr Sharif left Pakistan with the explicit guarantee that he would return to Pakistan and continue to attend the NAB trial as mandated by the court. And while it is possible to sympathise with Mr Sharif regarding his wife’s immediate medical condition, both Mr Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz have attended their trial in the Islamabad NAB court while Kulsoom Nawaz has been receiving medical care in London.
Therefore, if the court declines to delay announcing its verdict, Mr Sharif should return to Pakistan immediately and be present in court when the judgement is announced.
From a political perspective, it is apparent that the absence of Mr Sharif has immediately and significantly impacted the PML-N’s election campaign. Shahbaz Sharif and the rest of the PML-N leadership do not appear to have ignited the public imagination, and the PML-N appears to remain a party that responds primarily to the political appeal of Nawaz Sharif.
That the country’s major political parties are so dominated by personalities who appear to be a permanent part of the political landscape is certainly disappointing from a democratic perspective.
It was hoped that democratic continuity would help identify and empower the next generation of political leadership in the country, but an across-the-board failure to foster democratic traditions in political parties appears to have stifled the latter’s evolution.
If Nawaz Sharif is determined to remain the face and identity of the PML-N, he must make a difficult personal decision and return to Pakistan immediately.
Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2018
Comments (38) Closed
Yes,Surely.
Malaysia is about to jail its corrupt PM for stealing money. Why Pakistan has to be different? These corrupt leaders must have thought impacts of being dishonest and money laundering. No mercy for ex PML-N leader and his family.
He will come and face the situation. No doubt. What about Pervez Musharaf.
Nawaz will not return for the verdict, its about to get real messy tomorrow.
NS is no saint but he is the only one who save Pakistan from the clutches of shadow state
Yeah right!
Regretful situation for all. Let's get over this hill so Pakistan can move forward.
The current situation can be anything but good for democracy in Pakistan. This is leading us back to the same old military controlled political governance.
Put him and his sons and relatives behind bars. We need justice for all!
We all know decision that accountability court is required to take against him, but its better if he immediately return back to Pakistan as suggested in editorial.
hunters will become haunted if he comes back . Imran khan's dream will become his nightmare.
Nawaz Shareef on one hand wants to save his wealth and properties accumulated over the years and also want to return to rule this country for the fourth time. He can not have both.He must face the charges just like Malaysian PM is facing today .
He is finished politically and morally
Very nicely stated.
Another leader and party torn a part by the 70 year old system Nobody can change the status quo of this nation.
Nawaz, Shahbaz, Zardari, Fazal ur Rehman and the like, along with their corrupt cronies need to be in jail and soon, otherwise the judiciary and the current system will lose all of the credibility or whatever is left of it and the nation will be well on its way to self destruction
If Mr. Sharif is jailed then undoubtedly it would yield public sympathy which could be cashed politically by the PML.N
if he comes PMLN will win.
You mean to say even at the cost of his Wife in the hospital and fighting for life. Sir, he knows how to prioritize. We are humans first.
"Kulsoom Nawaz’s medical condition is undeniably serious". Did you see a different doctors' report, which our nation has not yet seen?
Correctly said. The perception is that Nawaz is only for himself / and his daughter ....... his party , the country, his brother, his supporter are all expendable and as such he will concoct excuse after excuse but will not come back before the elections.
Asking Nawaz Sharif to leave his critically ill wife behind to attend court is being cruel.Heavens won't fall if court proceedings are delayed by a few days.
NS is in a very tough situation. On one hand his life long partner is on life support and unconscious. If she gains consciousness and then passes away while he is in Pakistan fighting his case. The burden on his conscious will stay with him for the rest of his life. The choice is between his family and his political party. To me his family comes first before anything else. There are lot of other senior members of his party who will keep the party together even if he leaves the scene or does not return immediately. I don,t agree with the editorial that he must return immediately is totally unwise. We must remember that he was removed from the highest office on flimsy grounds and not for corruption. The continuity of political leadership is very important for the country and in a Democratic system, a leader can be only be changed through elections. Other means are very disruptive for smooth transition and disaster for the country.
If NS comes and is jailed, it would boost his esteem and benefit PML-N. Otherwise, sympathy of people will turn into suspicions about his deeds and personality.
@Ahsan Gul Well said!
In the state of Florida 10% of the population cannot vote because of Felony conviction (life time ban) unless an individual asks for clemency and restoration of his Voting rights. Voters rights must be protected from convicted Felons.
No signed doctor's certificate on Kulsoom's medical condition has been provided by NS to the SC or even ECP.
The following advice makes a lot of sense:
"If Nawaz Sharif is determined to remain the face and identity of the PML-N, he must make a difficult personal decision and return to Pakistan immediately."
@Vaidyanathan Why do Indians have to poke their noses in Pakistani issues.
He is not that brave.
Jail,
Where is my tax money
A poor Pakistani tax payer.
Mian Nawaz S is the only bulwark for ordinary Pakistanis against anti democratic forces, against slavery to the unaccountable, he must come even at personal cost, even if it means going to jail. His disqualification on a minor technicality was a glaring travesty to deprive us of representation. Conspiracists against elected gov must pay.
Throw NS. Zardari. Fazl ur Rehman and others gong back to January 1970 in JAIL, re=structure the system and clean up the Country once and for ALL. Regardless, of whose wife or kids are sick, what about millions of poor souls are being drag on the streets by the corrupt system, either by the Police or by the medical system or by the court system or any other agency. Get rid of them.
@Maimoonah Ali Wellsaid Indians should mind their own business and should stop Interfering in Pakistan Internal matters
Nawaz is not coming back, Mushy is not coming back, Zardaris have become irrelevant. Nice election fixing in Pakistan.
@S.AHMAD "Asking Nawaz Sharif to leave his critically ill wife behind to attend court is being cruel." All people being judged in Pakistan have ailing family members .Has he shown the same compassion for them while he was in office, that he's asking for himself? Did he make any legislation regarding verdict to be postponed until an ailing family member of an accused feels better? He could have done that, he made so many amendments in the constitution with his two third majority just a couple of months ago. He did not think of others when he had power, why others should think for him when he doesn't have it?
@Mohajir you must be kidding buddy...
@Vaidyanathan Who was prime minister when Musharraf left country