The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is preparing to reopen three cases against Nawaz Sharif, the supreme leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), upon his return to Pakistan. The cases are related to alleged illegal plot allotments, illegal land acquisitions in Lahore, and a questionable share transfer in Chaudhry Sugar Mills.
One of the cases dates back to 1986 when Nawaz Sharif, serving as Punjab’s chief minister, allegedly misused his authority to allocate plots in Allama Iqbal Town and Gulberg in Lahore. Another case from 1998 focuses on the alleged unlawful construction of a road from the Adda Plot to his residence in Lahore. The third case pertains to disputed share transfers in Chaudhry Sugar Mills, owned by Nawaz Sharif and his family.
As these cases are being reopened to welcome Nawaz Sharif, the PML-N leaders held a meeting on Wednesday to discuss preparations for his homecoming. The meeting, chaired by Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the party’s chief organizer, was attended by several leaders from the PML-N camp.
The party’s preparations for Nawaz Sharif’s arrival include a plan to gather a large number of people for his reception at Minar-i-Pakistan. The party has divided Punjab into nine divisions and appointed coordinators to bring 100,000 people to the event.
Maryam Nawaz has stressed that the performance of these coordinators will be evaluated based on the number of people they bring with them. She has requested a complete report on meeting the set target in the next meeting on September 30.
However, there are reports of possible issues in mobilizing workers for Nawaz Sharif’s welcome. Some senior leaders are said to have strong differences with the party’s Lahore President, which could create problems in organizing the event.
Maryam Nawaz has dismissed the rumors regarding a postponement of Nawaz Sharif’s return and confirmed that there has been no change in his arrival plan on October 21. The legal team of Nawaz Sharif is also working on obtaining protective bail for him ahead of his return.