Putting an end to speculation about his return, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Pakistan early Sunday morning amid strict security arrangements and was welcomed by a large gathering of PML-N workers and leaders.

Shehbaz arrived at Lahore's Allama Iqbal International Airport at 4:49am by Pakistan International Airlines flight PK-758. Upon arrival, he was showered with rose petals and currency notes while workers chanted slogans.

In the form of a rally, party workers accompanied him from the airport to his residence in Model Town, where sweets were distributed.

Ahead of Shehbaz's arrival, a large number of PML-N party workers, members of parliament and leaders, including PML-N secretary general Ahsan Iqbal, Amir Muqam and Pervez Malik, reached the airport in the middle of the night.

The PML-N president's return comes ahead of the upcoming budget sessions of the two houses of parliament, during which the opposition is expected to give a tough time to the PTI government.

He will preside over a meeting of the party’s parliamentary group tomorrow to discuss the prevailing political situation in the country and to devise the strategy for the budget sessions.

'Leeway given to PM Imran now ends'

PML-N Spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said that the return of Shehbaz means that "the leeway given to Imran Khan ends and his time to worry now begins".

Aurangzeb said that "the fear of Shehbaz's return has made the prime minister hide in the mountains, while his spokespersons are dead silent."

She urged the prime minister to "return as he has to answer to Shehbaz for his inefficiency and incapability".

'Quick visit' to London

Shehbaz had announced a "quick visit" to London on April 9 after his name was removed from the no-fly list on Lahore High Court orders. Party sources had said at the time that he intended to return within 10-12 days.

In a surprise move, Shehbaz had quit the chairmanship of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on May 3 which had raised questions about the possibility of a deal.

Reacting to the development, a number of PTI members claimed that Shehbaz would not return to the country as he was facing corruption charges and that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was also planning to leave the country.

Special Assistant to the PM on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan, talking to different TV channels, had said if Shehbaz wanted to return, "he will not appoint someone even as a chowkidar (guard) outside his home".

“They [Sharifs] divide these positions within the family. If they have started appointing people outside the family, it indicates this is the first step towards a deal,” she said.

Federal Communications Minister Murad Saeed in a statement had alleged that Shehbaz was trying to "hide" in London. He alleged that the Sharifs had failed to provide money trails and now their main focus was on finding ways to run away from the country.

Shehbaz faces court cases regarding corruption and dishonesty. In the Ashiyana housing scam, Shehbaz is accused of ordering the cancellation of a contract given to successful bidder Chaudhry Latif and Sons for the low-cost housing scheme, which led to the award of the contract to Lahore Casa Developers, a proxy group of Paragon City Private Limited, resulting in a loss of Rs193 million.

In the Ramzan Sugar Mills corruption case, Shehbaz and his son Hamza Shahbaz are accused of "fraudulently and dishonestly" causing a Rs213 million loss to the national exchequer.