Old wine in an old bottle

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif returns to Pakistan, but if his party is still the political powerhouse it once was remains to be seen

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Former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif has returned to his country after a four-year spell in self-exile. The three-time premier's homecoming was clearly timed with an eye on the general elections due in January, and followed a federal court granting him protection from arrest in several graft cases in which he was convicted in 2019.

The large crowd he attracted for his rally at the Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore reflected Sharif's drawing power, especially in the country's political heartland. His speech dwelt at length on Pakistan's past achievements under his leadership, including creation of infrastructure, economic growth and the country's emergence as a nuclear weapons state.