The federal government may suspend former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s sentence, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said on Tuesday.

“PML-N chief will be involved in the next election campaign,” the interior minister said while speaking exclusively in an interview on Aaj News program “Spot Light” with host Munizae Jahangir.

Sanaullah said the federal and provincial governments had the authority to suspend the sentence of an individual who had been wrongfully convicted.

The interior minister said that reducing a sentence or suspending it entirely was within the purview of the federal government.

The PML-N supremo was found guilty in the Al-Azizia corruption reference by an accountability court and sent to jail for 10 years in 2018.

In November 2019, Nawaz Sharif was granted bail in the corruption reference on health grounds. Subsequently, he did not return to the country since 2019.

Responding a question about former finance minister and PML-N leader Ishaq Dar’s return to the country, Sanaullah said that the final decision on the return of Ishaq Dar had not been taken yet.

He said that Dar is guiding the government in managing the economic crisis.

Talking about the talks with Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, the interior minister said that negotiations were being held under the Constitution and peace would be secured through the talks.

“The talks are in line with the Constitution of Pakistan and the final decision will be made after the approval from the parliament,” he added.

Sanaullah condemned the recent attack on polio workers and said that it was an act of national animosity.

Speaking about his statements to put PTI Chairman Imran Khan in jail, the interior minister said that he requested the federal cabinet to allow him to file a “sedition” case against Imran Khan for May 25 long march.

“It was an “armed attack on the State”,” he added.