PM directs to issue diplomatic passport to Nawaz Sharif

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday directed the interior ministry to issue a diplomatic passport to his brother and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

After assuming charge of his office, Shehbaz Sharif received briefing from the diplomatic staff about the issuance of a passport to the PML-N leaders who is self-exiled in London. The Pakistan High Commission in London have been directed to issue diplomatic passports to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and former finance minister Ishaq Dar.

According to reports, the diplomatic staff said only Nawaz Sharif can be issued a diplomatic passport, not Ishaq Dar. PM Shehbaz Sharif then issued directives to issue a normal Pakistani passport to Dar.

It may be noted that the passport of former prime minister was revoked on February 16 last year. The PTI government had refused to renew Nawaz’s passport and then interior minister Sheikh Rasheed had said if the PML-N supremo could be issued a special certificate.

In December last year, there were rumours of the PML-N leaders possible return to Pakistan but his party maintained that Nawaz would return after he has fully recovered. Imran Khan Khan had repeatedly lashed out at Nawaz for going abroad for treatment and said the letting the PML-N leader leave was a “major mistake” of his government.

A day earlier, PML-N senior leader Mian Javed Latif had said that the former prime minister was expected to return to Pakistan after Eid. He further said that Nawaz will face the cases against him after returning home.

In 2018, The PTI-led federal government reportedly cancelled the diplomatic passports of Ishaq Dar and his wife. Ishaq Dar has been in London ever since without a travel document and unable to travel to Pakistan.

Ishaq Dar and his wife were issued diplomatic passports – a legal entitlement– after surrendering their blue passports when he became Leader of the Opposition in the Senate of Pakistan in 2012 and continued to have the same when he resigned in June 2013 as Opposition Leader and took oath as Federal Minister.