Nawaz is currently in London, where his wife is hospitalised, and has request the NAB court to delay the verdict on the first of three accountability references against him, until he can return to the country and is present in the court to hear the decision.
As it stands, the court is supposed to announce the judgment tomorrow.
The no-show, our editors believe, is hampering his party's election preparations:
From a political perspective, it is apparent that the absence of Mr Sharif has immediately and significantly impacted the PML-N’s election campaign.