Pakistan’s government will not renew the passport of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who is currently staying in Landon. However, the government said they would provide him with special documents to travel back to Pakistan. 

The decision was taken by the Interior Ministry of Pakistan that had received a request for the renewal of the former prime minister’s passport. Sharif’s passport expired in February. 

Pakistan’s foreign ministry forwarded a request to the Interior Ministry for the issuance of a new diplomatic passport to Sharif. The Interior Ministry suggested providing him special documents to travel back to the country. 

“It being a property of federal government may only be issued once the applicant satisfies the relevant authorities regarding the bonafide of the application. A citizen’s right to travel abroad extinguishes once declared a fugitive of law,” the ministry’s response was quoted by Dawn.

The ministry further argued, “He being a fugitive of law and absconder cannot seek any further relief unless he surrenders before the courts in Pakistan.” The  Islamabad High Court had granted him bail in form of the suspension of sentence for eight weeks. 

A request to extend his bail had already been rejected by the Punjab government, the ministry pointed.