PM Shehbaz forms legal team for Nawaz Sharif’s return

Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday established a legal team, headed by Federal Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Azam Nazeer Tarar, to handle the legal procedures for the return of Nawaz Sharif, the supremo of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N).

The team included PM's special assistant Attaullah Tarar, Irfan Qadir, and other legal experts, including Amjad Parvez, who has previously handled cases for Nawaz Sharif.

The sources said that the committee's objective is to expedite the resolution of cases against the former premier, aiming to dissolve the charges and disqualifications to remove legal obstacles for his return to the country.

This development follows the recent passage of an amendment bill in the National Assembly, which abolishes lifetime disqualification of lawmakers under Article 62 (1) (f) in the Election Act 2017. The legislation eliminates the barrier of lifetime disqualification for Nawaz Sharif, allowing him to participate in elections and hold public office once the bill is signed into law by the president.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar presented the Election Act Amendment Bill 2023 as a supplementary agenda, which received majority support in the assembly. The Senate has already passed a similar amendment. The amendment specifies that the maximum disqualification period for lawmakers will be five years, in cases where the constitution does not specify the term of punishment.

The amended Election Act also grants the Election Commission of Pakistan the authority to announce the schedule for general elections and make necessary changes.