UK publication corroborates The News report on Pakistan, UK diplomatic row over Nawaz Sharif

LONDON: One of UK's most circulated tabloid newspaper, The Sun, has confirmed an exclusive report by The News on Pakistan's rejection of a deportation flight carrying around three dozen illegal immigrants from London to Islamabad amid a diplomatic row over former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

This report was published by The News on November 6, 2020.

Credible intelligence sources from both countries had told the publication that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s adviser on accountability, Shahzad Akbar, cancelled a London-Islamabad bound flight to demand deportation of  Nawaz from London to Pakistan.

“The flight to Islamabad on October 20 was not given clearance at the last minute by the Pakistan government and the UK authorities were left with no choice but to take the deportees back to their detention centres,” The News had reported.

On December 15, The Sun published a piece quoting the Home Office that diplomatic tensions between the UK and Pakistan arose after a “duty bound” demand of the British home secretary and the cancellation of a flight from London to Pakistan.

The UK paper said the flight cancellation cost the UK around £300,000.

Pakistan cancelled the flight “at the last minute, amid simmering tensions, withdrew clearance for the flight to land. The snub meant the illegal immigrants were returned to detention centres around the UK,” the UK report said.

Read more: UK to consider Nawaz’s extradition request if filed by Pakistan

It confirmed that Pakistan had sent a warning that it won't accept illegal immigrants if UK won't return Nawaz.

On October 5, Akbar had written to Priti Patel warning that Nawaz has been "responsible for pillaging the state" and that he trusted the UK will support Pakistan's efforts to hold the corrupt responsible for their actions.

Hussain Nawaz had told The Sun that his father's second time in power  ended by military rule and he was exiled albeit after getting two life sentences on the count of hijacking an aircraft from the PM’s office. 

He said his father later returned, cleared his cases and became the prime minister for the third time.

"He [Nawaz] is now under treatment in the UK with ill health yet facing repeated onslaughts of the Pakistani establishment,"  Hussain was quoted as telling the UK paper.

Akbar had confirmed the flight was not cleared, but "strongly denied" its cancellation was linked to Nawaz.

He said the flight would be allowed “after confirmation of documentations and following due protocols”. 

“We are seeking the deportation of Mian Nawaz Sharif on principle but it is not linked to any other bilateral issue between the two countries,” Akbar had said.

Another minister from Imran Khan’s cabinet had said the flight from London to Islamabad was not given clearance because it had “not complied with Standard Operating Procedures”. 

A third source linked to the government had claimed the flight was stopped because the UK government had not carried out COVID-19 tests.