Nawaz Sharif not returning under deal: PM Kakar

Islamabad, Oct 12 Pakistani Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Thursday dismissed the impression that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif returning to Pakistan under a deal with his government.
“The caretaker government has ‘no soft corner’ for PML-N or any other political party…How can a caretaker government strike such a deal,” he said in an interview with digital media platform, WE News.
The prime minister was responding to a question relating to the PML-N supremo’s homecoming from the UK on October 21 after a four-year self-imposed exile, media reports said.
Kakar pointed out that Nawaz had left the country because of a court decision “under the nose of Imran Khan’s government, and not the caretaker setup”, according to Geo news.
However, he said that if Nawaz returns and takes part in politics, he will have to face some legal obstacles.
“The answers to these legal questions lie in legal remedies,” said the interim PM. He added that any leader be it Imran Khan, Asif Ali Zardari, or Nawaz, everyone would have to deal with the law.
The caretaker PM said that Pakistani politics had turned into “regimental camps” and the country had been turned into a fighting ground for political positions.
He also dismissed the notion that the caretaker setup could be compared to the “Kakar formula” where both then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif and then president Ghulam Ishaq Khan were forced to resign on a proposal of then army chief General (retd) Waheed Kakar to make way for elections.
“This comparison is apples and oranges. It is out of context because in our case, the stint of the normal parliament led to its retirement and we are part of the constitutional continuation where leaders of the House and the Opposition agreed upon my name,” said Kakar.
There has been no interference from any institution in our case, he said.
On general polls, PM Kakar said necessary security and administrative arrangements were in place.
He said the caretaker government in collaboration with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was in the process of finalising required measures.