Rashid says PM asked him not to renew Nawaz's passport.

Byline: Ahmad Fraz Khan

LAHORE -- Interior MinisAter Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Friday reiterated the government's policy regarding Nawaz Sharif, saying the PML-N supreme leader's passport would not be renewed.

Mr Sharif has been living in London on medical grounds for several months.

In reply to a question during a visit to Nadra office here, Sheikh Rashid said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had asked him not to renew Mr Sharif's passport. The interior ministry had decided accordingly, he added.

The minister said the government would not stop the Pakistan Democratic Movement's planned protest outside the office of the Election Commission of Pakistan in Islamabad on Tuesday if the latter did so by abiding law.

Addressing a press conference at the Nadra office, he said the opposition could practise its constitutional right to hold a protest and the government would not create any hurdle in its way, 'but the law will take its course if any unrest is created in the capital'.

Mr Rashid recalled that he had already predicted that the opposition lawmakers would never resign from assemblies as they would participate in Senate elections and by-polls, and they would also stage a march on Islamabad.

'Prime Minister Imran Khan has formed a committee, headed by the interior minister (himself), to hold talks with the opposition and it is getting down to work,' he said.

Mr Ahmed asked JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to refrain from creating divisions and unrest in the country, otherwise, the government would have to take action.

He said the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government was not afraid of the PDM protest, but it was time to observe whether the opposition would respect the law and the Constitution or not.

He said the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was playing its cards very wisely for its political gains under the PDM...