Sharif’s return has been touted for months by the PML-N party, whose leaders hope Sharif’s political clout and “man of the soil” swagger will revive its flagging popularity. “God has given him a chance to come back and turn things around.
The inflation is very high and poor people are desperate,” said 18-year-old Razi Ullah. More than 7,000 police officers have been enlisted to control crowds expected at the Greater Iqbal park in Lahore, where his homecoming rally is due to take place, according to a senior officer on site. Sharif will travel onwards to the eastern megacity of Lahore, where supporters gathered for a welcome home rally with streets shrouded in green and yellow party banners, posters and flags. How did we get here? Why did it come to this?”Īnalysts say Sharif’s return is likely to have been brokered by the powerful military establishment, which cracked down on Imran Khan’s party after their relationship soured as he was ousted last year. “Our country, which should have been at the heights of prosperity, has really gone backwards. “We are completely ready for elections,” he told reporters before his flight took off.
