On Thursday, 5th August 2021 former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s request for a visa extension was denied by the British authorities, which was later also confirmed by members of his own party, PML-N.
Nawaz Sharif, who had left Pakistan based on compromised health conditions in 2019, has been residing in the UK to receive treatment and requested a 6-month visa extension based on his health conditions. The former PM had left Pakistan just 20 days after receiving bail from his 7-year jail sentence for corruption, raising many controversial views even then.
However, despite his visa being rejected by the UK government, Nawaz Sharif still had the opportunity of appealing against this decision, as put forward by Marriyum Aurangzeb, PML-N spokesperson.
In a statement, she said, “The UK Home Office has excused itself from further extending Muhammad Nawaz Sharif’s visa,” and that, “Home Office had stated that Nawaz could file an appeal against this decision in the immigration tribunal.”
Nawaz Sharif’s lawyers have already decided to appeal against this verdict, further providing him with more time to reside there, while the initial decision is reviewed and a new ruling is put forward.
The Information and Broadcasting Minister Fawad Chaudhry carried out a video statement regarding this issue, in which he informed the public of how Pakistan had implored the UK authorities to not provide asylum to those people who had been actively involved in corruption in the country. He also addressed the former Prime Minister, telling him to contact the Pakistani embassy for a temporary passport that would allow him to return to Pakistan.
Another PML-N spokesperson, Mohammad Zubair, stated that the party would make sure Nawaz Sharif’s UK visa got an extension, even if they had to “exhaust” all legal options. He further went on to state that the process of appeal that had been carried out could take up to a year and a half due to COVID-19 and delay in processing methods.
In March 2021, Nawaz Sharif’s passport expired, yet he had continued his stay in the UK. The Foreign Office had decided not to renew Nawaz’s passport at the time due to his unsatisfactory conduct towards his court proceedings since the government was unwilling to offer a “declared offender” any “further relief” until he appeared in court.
