Interim Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar has dismissed the impression that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif’s decision to return to Pakistan was a part of any deal with the caretaker government.

Nawaz, who has been in self-imposed exile since 2019, left for London in the middle of his seven-year jail term on medical grounds. In the four years that transpired, Nawaz was declared a proclaimed offender in the Al Azizia and Avenfield graft cases for his continuous absence from proceedings.

Last month, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif had confirmed that his elder brother was returning to the country on October 21. Subsequently, the PML-N had declared that Nawaz was ready to face “all kinds of circumstances” upon his return from London.

Last week, Nawaz’s legal team submitted his medical reports to the Lahore High Court, which said the PML-N supremo had “some residual anginal symptoms”. Separately, Shehbaz said the party’s legal team had cleared Nawaz’s arrival.

Meanwhile, the elder Sharif marked his final day at Stanhope House, the party’s de facto London headquarters, on Oct 6. A day earlier, Nawaz left for Saudi Arabia, where he is expected to stay for a few days.

In an interview with World Echo News today, PM Kakar said: “The caretaker government has no soft corner for PML-N or any other political party … how can a caretaker government strike such a deal?”

He pointed out that Nawaz left the country as per the court’s decision “under the nose of Imran Khan’s government, and not the caretaker setup”.

However, if Nawaz returns and takes part in politics, he will have to face some legal obstacles, the premier said. “The answers to these legal questions lie in legal remedies.”

PM Kakar said any leader, be it Imran Khan, Asif Ali Zardari, or Nawaz Sharif, everyone would have to seek legal remedy as per their case scenario.

He went on to say that Pakistan was witnessing the formation of “regimental camps” and the country had been turned into a fighting ground for political position.

Furthermore, he rejected the notion that the caretaker setup could be likened to the ’90s “Kakar formula” where the then-PM Nawaz and then-President Ghulam Ishaq Khan were forced to quit on the proposal of then-army chief General Waheed Kakar to make way for fresh polls.

“This comparison is apples and oranges. It is out of context because in our case, the stint of the normal Parliament led to its retirement and we are part of the constitutional continuation where leaders of the House and the Opposition agreed upon my name,” he said.

There has been no interference from any institution in our case, the PM asserted.

On general polls, Kakar said necessary security and administrative arrangements were in place. He added that the caretaker government, in collaboration with the Election Commission of Pakistan, was in the process of the finalisation of the required measures.

Talking about the expulsion of Afghan refugees, the prime minister said action was being taken only against unregistered foreign nationals.

The government’s objective, he said, was to regulate the movement of unregistered foreign nationals through proper process.

In response to a question on the possibility of recognising Israel, Kakar said: “There are no such deliberations going on.”

Pakistan considers Israel an “oppressor” and stands with the rights of Palestinians to their existence and return to their land, he added.