Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed said on Thursday that the government was ready to issue former prime minister Nawaz Sharif a passport in 24 hours if he wants to return to the country.

If he did, however, he'd have to face the cases against him, Rasheed said.

The minister was responding to news about the UK immigration's refusal to extend Sharif's UK visa.

Sharif's passport expired in February and he needed to apply for a new one if he intends to travel anywhere. He can however return to Pakistan on a temporary travel document which allows him to travel from airport to airport said Rasheed.

Sharif has been in the UK since November 2019 when he was granted medical leave due to his poor health.

His lawyers have filed an appeal against the decision.

According to a tweet by PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb, Sharif was told he could file for an appeal with the immigration authorities and he could live in the UK until the decision on the appeal is made.

The interior minister doesn't think Sharif will apply for asylum in the UK. And if the matter comes to a deportation, Sharif is likely to go to court to lengthen the proceedings, Rasheed said.

Sharif was declared a proclaimed offender in two cases by the Islamabad High Court in December 2019 after he failed to appear before the court.