Deposed prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Supremo Nawaz Sharif will return to Pakistan on October 21, bringing to an end his four-year self-exile.
This was disclosed by former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif while speaking to Geo News in London on Tuesday.
This is the first time a definitive date has been indicated from within the inner circle of Nawaz.
Earlier, senior party member Irfan Siddiqui had stated that Nawaz Sharif would return to Pakistan in mid-October.
That announcement was followed by Nawaz Sharif positively affirming his decision to return to Pakistan next month.
Nawaz faces several cases in Pakistan, particularly for absconding after he was allowed in 2019 to leave prison -- where he was serving a seven-year sentence for corruption in the Al-Azizia case -- to seek medical attention in the UK. When his four-week undertaking expired and Nawaz failed to return, he was declared an absconder.
It is widely believed that upon his return and after dealing with his legal matters, Nawaz will likely turn his attention to PML-N's electoral campaign.
Nawaz, who has a history of heart issues, had departed from Pakistan on November 19, 2019, via an air ambulance. His doctors had diagnosed him with an immune system disorder which would require treatment in the UK and the US.