LAHORE: Sept 27 (TNS): Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Wednesday returned home from London, two days after his elder brother deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif landed in Pakistan to face graft cases in an accountability court.
Shahbaz landed at Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore and was driven to his residence in Model Town amid tight security.
On Sept 23, the chief minister had traveled to London to inquire about the health of Begum Kulsoom Nawaz undergoing treatment for cancer and take part in the key PML-N meetings.
Earlier on Monday, Nawaz Sharif returned home to face the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) references against him and his children.
Amid speculations that a number of PML-N leaders were considering to switch loyalties owing to uncertain situation, Sharif decided to return home and stop the party leaders from flying over to the opposite camp.
His daughter Maryam Nawaz had earlier announced on Twitter that the Sharif family would not be part of “personal and political victimization in the garb of accountability.” Her tweet was deciphered by analysts as the family’s decision not to appear in the NAB court.
Later in a dramatic shift, Sharif decided to return home and face NAB cases in the accountability court.
Addressing a key press conference yesterday, Sharif said he served two sentences at the hand of dictators saying, “I didn’t bow down.” Today I’ve again been deprived of my right to challenge the [court] verdict.
He said he would continue contesting his case and fight for his rights…”and it will be people’s victory in the end.”
I faced the ‘Panama Drama’ and my children appeared before Joint Investigation Team “constituted through a WhatsApp message” many a times, and today I turned up before the accountability court as I am ‘squeaky clean’, he underlined.
I beg, let the country run according to the Constitution, he added.
