FORMER prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s acquittal in two major corruption cases — Avenfield Apart­ments and Al-Azizia Steel Mills — over the past month has reignited discussions about his potential comeback in politics. While the development has cleared his path to run in the upcoming elections and reclaim his role as PML-N’s president, it may not be a walk in Hyde Park for Mr Sharif.

However, until things get settled for him, Mr Sharif can revel in the fact that even at this point his political future seems more secure than that of his long-time nemesis, Imran Khan. Mr Khan, serving a three-year sentence for corruption in Adiala Jail, remains disqualified from contesting elections after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) rejected his plea on Thursday to suspend the conviction.

The legal community remains split over Mr Sharif’s prospects. The debate hinges on whether the legislative amendment to the Elections Act can retrospectively apply to Mr Sharif’s case and whether it supersedes the constitutional provision under which the former premier was disqualified.

Although parliament has limited disqualifications to a maximum of five years, some legal experts believe that Mr Sharif might not gain an........

© Dawn