After four years of self-imposed exile, three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif returned to Pakistan on Saturday, eager to make a political comeback before the elections.
Prior to elections that have already been rescheduled for January 2024, the South Asian country is dealing with overlapping security, economic, and political difficulties, and Sharif’s main opponent, the hugely popular Imran Khan, is still imprisoned.
After spending several days in Dubai, Sharif boarded a chartered jet filled with journalists and arrived in the nation’s capital, Islamabad, at 1:30 pm (0830 GMT), according to the local media.
“We are completely ready for elections,” he told reporters before his flight took off.
“Our country which should have been at the heights of prosperity has really gone backwards,” he said. “How did we get here? Why did it come to this?”
Analysts speculate that the powerful military establishment, which repressed Khan’s party when their relationship soured and he was removed from office last year, mediated Sharif’s return.
Sharif will next head to Lahore, a megacity in the east, where fans were already assembling for a welcome-home demonstration. Party banners, posters, and flags in the colors green and yellow covered the streets.
According to a senior officer present, more than 7,000 police have been called in to manage anticipated crowds at the Greater Iqbal Park, where his homecoming speech is scheduled to take place later.
“I’m here to welcome my leader. The inflation is very high and poor people are desperate,” said 18-year-old Razi Ullah. “God has given him a chance to come back and turn things around. He’s done it before.”
