LAHORE: Former premier Nawaz Sharif returned to Kot Lakhpat jail late Tuesday evening to serve out the remaining period of his seven-year sentence in the Al Azizia Steel Mills corruption case as charged PML-N workers gathered along the route from his Jati Umra residence to the penitentiary to express solidarity with their leader.

Accompanied by his daughter Maryam Nawaz, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supermo kept waving at the enthusiastic workers to respond to their slogans while his nephew Hamza Shahbaz drove the car towards the jail.

Camps were set up along the route as the party loyalists showed their strength and love for their leader, paying little heed to Punjab Information Minister Sumsam Bokhari’s warning that taking a prisoner to jail in a procession was a violation of court’s order and action would be taken against the violators.

Workers pay little heed to minister’s warning against rally; leaders condemn letter from jail seeking ex-PM’s return before sunset

Heavy contingents of police were deployed along the route, which remained closed to regular traffic.

As the ex-PM’s car moved at a snail’s pace through the huge crowd, the PML-N supremo repeatedly requested them to clear the way because he had to reach the prison before 12 midnight before the expiry of his bail period.

Giving live updates of the rally on Twitter, Maryam Nawaz tweeted: “Have hardly covered 1 km in the last hour and a half. Passion is unbelievable. The ring road is jam packed. The people are eager to catch a glimpse of their leader. There are countless heads.”

The home department later issued an order to jail authorities to take the prisoner to his barrack when he gets there.

Earlier in the day, officials from Kot Lakhpat jail reached Jati Umra and handed over a letter to the ex-premier advising him to return to the prison before sunset or get ‘special permission’ from the home secretary of Punjab.

Reacting to the move, PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said (Prime Minister) Imran Khan’s police team reached Jati Umra to arrest Mr Sharif. “It is a vile act on the part of Imran Khan who sent police to arrest the man who himself was returning to jail [on the expiry of his bail period],” she tweeted.

PML-N leaders, including ex-PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Senator Pervaiz Rashid, Khawaja Asif, Miftah Ismail, Rana Sanaullah Khan, Javed Latif, Pervaiz Malik, Ali Pervaiz, Saira Tarar, Azma Bokhari and Mohammad Mehdi, reached Jati Umra to accompany their leader. Veteran leader Javed Hashmi and Nehal Hashmi were also present.

Talking to reporters, Mr Abbasi said the government should see people’s passion and love for their leader. He said they did not accept his sentence. “This government has miserably failed. Before the people take to the streets and throw it out, it will be better for Imran Khan’s administration to go home,” he said.

Another PML-N leader, Pervaiz Rashid, said: “The people of Pakistan are with Nawaz Sharif. The PTI government is afraid of an ailing prisoner. The government has failed to deliver; that is why the people are with the prisoner.”

Khawaja Asif, who has been nominated as the PML-N parliamentary leader in the National Assembly, said Mr Khan was on road to destruction. “The narrative [give respect to the ballot] of Nawaz Sharif is the same and the party is following it,” he said. Asked if this ‘power show’ would be a turning point in PML-N politics, Mr Asif remarked: “Hope so”.

Nawaz Sharif was sentenced to seven years imprisonment along with a fine of Rs1.5 billion by an accountability court on Dec 24, 2018 in Al-Azizia reference. He was sent to Adiala Jail and later shifted to Kot Lakhpat Jail at his request.

In March, he was granted bail for six weeks by the Supreme Court to afford him an opportunity to get treatment of his choice from within the country for heart and kidney ailments. The bail expired on May 7, as the apex court recently rejected his review petition seeking permission to go abroad for treatment.

Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2019