Former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif was nearly attacked by a mob while he was going inside his Avenfield House residence in London on Sunday.
Video of the incident has appeared in Pakistani media, and it shows angry protesters hurling abuses on the Pakistani leader. A man is also seen trying to attack a person who appears to be a security personnel.
This incident comes just days after an accountability court in Islamabad sentenced Sharif to 10 years in jail for corruption.
Reacting to the mob attack, Sharif’s daughter Maryam blamed cricket-turned-politician Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party for allegedly inciting violence. However, the UK unit of PTI has dismissed the allegations.
Sharif and his daughter, who are currently in London to look after Sharif’s wife Begum Kulsoom Nawaz, is set to return to Pakistan on Friday. The Pakistani government has placed their names on the Exit Control List to prevent them from flying abroad after their return.
“The interior ministry on the request of the country’s anti-graft body – National Accountability Bureau (NAB)– has placed the names of Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz on ECL,” an official of interior ministry confirmed to news agency Press Trust of India.
Sharif and Maryam will be arrested as soon as they arrive in the country. The caretaker government has been requested to provide a helicopter to shift Sharif and Maryam to Islamabad after their arrival.
“Since the road option may be difficult for the authorities concerned with regard to provide security cover, a helicopter should be provided to NAB to avoid problems in the arrest and shifting them (Nawaz and Maryam) to Adiala jail in Rawalpindi after producing them before the accountability court,” an official said.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Sharif’s PML-N said a large number of party workers will gather in Lahore to give “historic welcome” to Sharif and Maryam.
“Our workers cannot be stopped by any hurdle,” she said.
