Don't act on Nawaz's plea for diplomatic passport renewal: Interior ministry

ISLAMABAD: The interior ministry of Pakistan has Wednesday written to the foreign secretary asking him to not heed the request made by Nawaz Sharif for a renewed diplomatic passport given his status as proclaimed offender from the court of law, ARY News reported.

There cannot be any more relief extended to him until he appears before the court as he has been absconding from justice, the letter wrote to the secretary of foreign ministry which has received the request for the ex-Prime Minister’s due-expiry passport renewal.

The Punjab government never protracted the 8-week bail which the Islamabad High Court had granted him for the medical procedure due in London, it said.

Sharif has to spend the rest of his sentence in Kot Lakhpat Jail and thus his passport may not be renewed allowing him to evade his fate written by the courts in many cases, it said.

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If, however, he wishes to return to Pakistan to face the due cases, he may apply for emergency travel documents, the letter said.

It may be noted that the directorate of passports and emigration comes under interior ministry and thus the letter is a bid to inform former PM that his request is being declined and the role of foreign ministry in this is to merely convey the message.