The caretaker government would ensure that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif safely travels to Lahore from Islamabad, the interim information minister has said.

“This is his country. We will give him [Nawaz] complete security,” Murtaza Solangi said in an interview with Shaukat Piracha on his show Rubaroo which was aired on Aaj News on Friday. “Our duty is to ensure peace and there is no mismanagement.”

He was responding to a query on the former prime minister’s homecoming on Saturday (tomorrow), nearly 4 years after he left in November 2019 to seek medical treatment in London. Nawaz has been PM of the country for three times and is among the senior politicians.

The PML-N supremo is in Dubai where according to reports he has important meetings to attend. On Thursday, he got a major relief when the Islamabad High Court barred authorities from arresting him in the Al-Azizia and Avenfield case till October 24. The development came after an accountability court suspended Nawaz’s perpetual warrants in the Toshakhana case.

The N-league has planned a gathering at Lahore’s Minar-e-Pakistan after Nawaz’s arrival in the city. According to party leader Irfan Siddiqui, Nawaz’s speech would centre on democratic stability and progress of the country, unlike his past narrative of accountability of the former army chief and his spymaster.

When asked about reports Nawaz’s arrival was part of the “London plan”, the information minister said that criticism, grumbling, and shouting were part of the democracy.

“Democracy is not a graveyard where there is silence,” he said and added that such reports were not something to worry about as they occur in the country’s political spectrum.

While responding to the arrival of the Nawaz for the third time to Pakistan, Solangi said that history, people, and the political process pay the price if the countries repeat the same mistake.

“If we had walked on the right path our democracy wouldn’t have been weak,” he said and called for bringing experts on the show to know about the history.

When asked, he said that the law ministry in consultation with the Election Commission of Pakistan would submit a reply in the Supreme Court in a case pertaining to elections that should be held within 90 days.

He went on to add that it could be possible for a cabinet meeting could be held before October 23 and the matter could be discussed in it.

While responding to a query, Solangi said that AML chief Sheikh Rashid would say anything under any pressure or duress when he would come on TV to comment after his arrest.

“I think his statement that whenever he will speak he will say the truth,” he added.

He stated that his meeting with PTI leader Shafqat Mehmood was private as he had gone to meet the former as an old friend, not as any minister.

“I am not aware of any reconciliation,” he said in response to a query whether the government was thinking about any reconciliation with the PTI.

According to Solangi, interim PM Anwaarul Haq Kakar’s visit to China was back after a “good tour”.

“No country is perfect. Every country has its issues. Similarly, China will have and we have our own but it is clear that it is not like that such kind of propaganda was shown,” he said while commenting on Kakar’s visit to China’s Xinjiang province where he also offered Friday prayers.

He hoped that the negative propaganda would end when people-to-people contacts between the two countries began.

In reply to a query, he said: “Palestine issue will continue until world powers realise what happened 75 years ago, especially how borders were changed in 1967 and the way Palestinians were divided into two parts. Until they realise, this will continue. But if there is not justice then there is no peace.”