Pakistan court grants bail to ex-PM Nawaz Sharif ahead of return from self-exile

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif leaves a court in Lahore, Pakistan, on October 8, 2018. (AP/File)

• This means the three-time ex-PM cannot be arrested when he returns to the country on Oct. 21
• After four years in self-imposed exile, Sharif hopes to lead his PML-N party in January elections

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistan court on Thursday granted bail to exiled former prime minister and graft convict Nawaz Sharif, his lawyer said, adding that this means he cannot be arrested when he returns to the country this weekend.
After nearly four years in self-imposed medical exile, Sharif is hoping to lead his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party through elections scheduled for January 2024.
“The honorable Islamabad High Court has granted Nawaz Sharif protective bail until October 24,” Amjad Pervaiz, Sharif’s lawyer, told AFP. 
“He can not be arrested on his arrival,” said Pervaiz.
The court’s decision allows him to return to his heartland of Lahore on Saturday for a welcome home rally, while his primary opponent Imran Khan languishes in jail.