The decision by the Islamabad High Court is a major boost for Sharif and his party and comes two days before he is to return to Pakistan ahead of parliamentary elections in January as the country faces deepening political and economic turmoil.
Sharif stepped down as prime minister in 2017 after being convicted of corruption. Two years later, facing further graft charges, he complained of chest pains and was granted permission by his successor, Imran Khan, to travel to London for medical treatment following a court order.In 2020, an anti-graft court in Islamabad issued a warrant for his arrest after he failed to return home. The same court on Thursday suspended the arrest warrant for him until Oct. 24.
Sharif's party hailed the court's decision. His special plane is to land at Islamabad's airport on Saturday, and he will travel to Lahore the same day to address a rally to be held at a public park under tight security. Khan, Sharif's successor and main political rival, is also imprisoned in a corruption case and is serving a three-year sentence. Khan was ousted in a no-confidence vote in April 2022 and was replaced by Sharif's younger brother, Shehbaz Sharif, who served as prime minister until August, when he stepped down to allow an interim government to run daily affairs and organize the elections.