Son of Pakistan is returning, won't let them go to jail: Nawaz Sharif's mother declares

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ISLAMABAD: Ahead former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Safdar's return to Lahore to surrender for their prison term, Sharif's mother Shamim Akhtar declared she won't let them go to jail.

“Son of Pakistan, my son is returning tomorrow. The decision was against him, Maryam and Safdar. I won't let them go to jail. If they are sent to jail, then I will go with them. I believe all of them are innocent and Allah will protect them,” said Akhtar.

“Those at fault must fear Allah. The Court itself has said that the corruption (in the case) could not be established, so what are they being punished for? They are being punished for their loyalty to the nation,” argued the  85-year-old.

Sharif and Maryam boarded a foreign flight on Thursday and will arrive in Lahore via Abu Dhabi at 6.15 pm (local time) on Friday.

They will then be arrested and transported to jail via a helicopter.

The father-daughter duo were convicted by a Pakistani court in the Avenfield Apartments case and sentenced to 10 and 7 years in jail respectively. Safdar received a year's sentence.

More than 300 PML-N workers and leaders were detained in Pakistan in a massive crackdown on the party activists in Lahore ahead of the arrival of its supreme leader Sharif.

Two helicopters have been to shift Sharif and his daughter to jail from the airport.

They said one helicopter would be at Lahore airport, while the other would be in Islamabad, and the father-daughter duo would be arrested upon landing at either of the two airports.

Deputy Inspector General Operations Shahzad Akbar said 10,000 police officers will be deployed across the city tomorrow to "maintain law and order".

The Anti-Riot Unit will be on alert, and the Dolphin Squad and the Police Response Unit will be deployed to sensitive areas of the city.