Nawaz Sharif's passport will be cancelled on Feb 16: Shaikh Rasheed

ISLAMABAD: In a significant development, the federal government has decided to cancel former premier Nawaz Sharif's passport in a month-and-a-half.

This was announced by Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed on Wednesday while talking to reporters in Islamabad. "We have decided to cancel Nawaz Sharif's passport on February 16."

The government has already approached UK authorities to extradite Nawaz Sharif. Special Assistant to PM Imran Khan on Accountability Shahzad Akbar had said that it is up to the British government to decide on the extradition of the former premier.

The PML-N supremo was granted an eight-week bail on medical grounds in October 2019 and a month later he was allowed to travel abroad for treatment for four weeks. The government maintains that Nawaz was permitted on condition he would share details of treatment which he didn't do.

It may be added here that the deposed premier has been declared proclaimed offender by Islamabad High Court and an accountability for failing to appear before the bench.

Meanwhile, sources in the interior ministry said that the PML-N supremo's passport would not be renewed, while also confirming that it would expire in the mid of February.

The interior ministry has issued instructions to the Passport and Immigration Directorate to not renew the passport, sources added.

Stay in UK illegal after passport expiry

Later in the day, Adviser to Prime Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan, addressing a press conference, said that Nawaz's stay in London would become illegal after his passport expires.

The only option for the PML-N supremo, after his passport expires, would be to come back to Pakistan and appear in court to face the cases against him, Awan said.