Shahbaz Sharif returns home from London

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif returned home from London on Sunday morning, ARY News reported.

The chief minister had flown to London on Oct 29 to inquire after the health of his sister-in-law Begum Kulsoom Nawaz and meet his elder brother Nawaz Sharif who earlier this week returned to Pakistan to face trial in corruption cases.

During his week-long stay in the British capital, Shahbaz held meetings with Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leaders and overseas Pakistanis.

Ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif before returning to Pakistan had held a meeting with his close aides, including the younger Sharif and Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, to discuss party affairs, especially reports of rifts within its ranks and corruption cases he and members of his family are facing.

Following the meeting, reports begun to circulate that the moot had decided Shehbaz Sharif will run for a National Assembly seat in the next general elections. In case, the party wins the elections and find itself in a position to form the government, the younger Sharif will be its candidate for the premiership.

Sources said it further decided that any attempt aimed at executing minus-Nawaz formula or any action in contrast to the constitution would not be acceptable to the party leaders and workers.

The moot decided that any confrontation with state institutions will be avoided. No one except the elder and younger Sharif will give statements on policy matters. The leadership decided that the Sharif family will face corruption cases, sources claimed.