THE prodigal son returns. With his party’s goodwill all but squandered by the disastrous mismanagement that defined the PDM-led government, Nawaz Sharif is scheduled to return to Pakistan today, hoping to revive his political fortunes. The state awaits him with open arms, and his own party has left no stone unturned in preparing a grand welcome.

He is to fly to Islamabad on a chartered flight and proceed from there to Lahore, where he will be feted with songs, flowers and celebration. The party has commissioned a new anthem for the occasion and hired two planes to shower him with rose petals.

In his hometown, Mr Sharif will address supporters at the Minar-i-Pakistan, where attendees have been promised free motorbikes, roti, and even absolution if they honour their quaid with a rousing welcome. A lot seems to be riding on the occasion for the PML-N.

Afraid of jinxing the Oct 21 festivities, the party had cancelled all political engagements with constituents in the lead-up to the big day. It believes that a large crowd will greatly help its efforts to renew its claim of being Punjab’s most popular party.

To ensure that Mr Sharif’s return is a comfortable one, all legal hurdles have been removed from his path. The PML-N chief, who was declared a ‘proclaimed offender’ by the Pakistani judicial system for fleeing from the law, has been given some extraordinary relief.

On Thursday, Mr Sharif secured protective bail in the Al Azizia and Avenfield references, in which he currently stands convicted, from the Islamabad High Court. The National Accountability Bureau, which had once relentlessly hounded the Sharif family over their alleged corruption, suddenly found no objections to Mr Sharif returning to the country and proceeding directly to a jalsa instead of a courthouse.

Likewise, an Islamabad accountability court came to the timely conclusion that it ought to suspend a perpetual arrest warrant outstanding against Mr Sharif in a graft case involving vehicles taken from the Toshakhana.

It has never seemed more obvious that neither Mr Sharif’s past conviction nor this sudden relief has much to do with the law. Instead, his legal fortunes seem to be dictated by his party’s willingness or unwillingness to play second fiddle to the deep state. Indeed, this seems to be the only ‘law’ that prevails over our political class.

Toe the line, and you can be prime minister; overstep, and you end up in jail. Mr Sharif should know: he has tried and been made to suffer three times already. It is most unfortunate, however, to see him standing on the wrong side of history once again. Clearly, his principles are not worth more to him than another shot at power. Will he rue the choice he has made? Time will tell.

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2023