By Hamza Ameer

Islamabad, Apr 12 (IANS): Former Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, who took office after the Pakistani courts ousted then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, has said that even though newly-elected PM Shehbaz Sharifs government is in office, Nawaz Sharif will be sent to jail when he returns to Pakistan.

Abbasi, a senior and trusted member of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), replaced Nawaz Sharif after the latter was found guilty of having assets beyond means and not declaring his designation in his son's company while being a public office holder in the country.

Abbasi has said that Nawaz Sharif will have to come back to Pakistan and go to jail, before being able to get any relief from the courts.

"Mian Nawaz Sharif will come back to Pakistan soon. He will have to go to jail upon his arrival in the country because he is convicted on the cases. So, he will have to go to jail first," Abbasi said.

"This will have to happen. Because, in order to get any relief from the court and his convictions, he needs to be in Pakistan. So, as the law stands, Nawaz Sharif will have to go to jail and then try to get relief from the Pakistani courts," he added.

Abbasi also stated that one of the main focuses of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will be to hold accountable the head of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) over using the institution for politically motivated and targeted actions taken on orders of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

"The NAB needs to be shut down and its officials need to be held accountable for framing fake cases against political figures, which were politically motivated and had an agenda to target the former government's political opposition," he said.

Abbasi also lashed out at sitting President Arif Alvi for not administering the oath taking ceremony of Shehbaz Sharif.

Taking a jibe at Alvi's profession as a dentist, Abbasi said that the President can keep working as long as his tooth doesn't hurt too often.

"The President is welcome to continue working if his tooth doesn't hurt often," he said.

Talking about Imran Khan's call for public protests and resignations from the Parliament, Abbasi said that Khan can keep himself on the streets and keep his demands of early elections to himself.

"Imran Khan can keep roaming the streets because this government will complete its tenure," Abbasi said.