Pakistan: Rallies in Gujranwala and Lahore August 11-12 /update 1

Event

As of Friday, August 11, Pakistan’s deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is continuing along his political tour, launched on August 9 in a move aimed at exhibiting his continued political strength. As planned, Sharif is traveling along Grand Trunk Road, a major route linking Islamabad to Lahore, holding demonstrations along the way. On Friday, he is expected to make stops at Kharian, Lalamusa, Gujrat, and Gujranwala. Sharif will spend the night in Gujranwala and leave for Lahore on the Saturday morning; he is expected to reach the city by 16:00 (local time).

Despite the precarious security condition in the region, Sharif said he was determined to go back to his home in Lahore. The announcement of this tour came a day after the August 7 truck bombing in Lahore that killed two people; there has been no claim of responsibility so far.

Context

Sharif resigned on July 28 after the Supreme Court disqualified him from holding public office after a probe into his family’s wealth following the 2015 Panama Papers leak. This leak of millions of documents held by the Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca identified links between many political and business leaders around the world and offshore companies and accounts. It was brought to light that Sharif’s children owned undisclosed offshore companies and assets and Sharif was accused of using their accounts for tax evasion and money laundering.

Some observers were hoping to see Sharif become the first Pakistani prime minister to complete a full five-year term. Pakistani politicians generally suffer from poor governance track records, especially in the fight against corruption. Many believe the Supreme Court has started to crack down on corruption in favor of a more democratic system.

Advice

Individuals in the aforementioned areas are advised to exercise caution and strictly avoid all demonstrations and gatherings. Monitor the situation over the coming days and follow any instructions issued by the local authorities.

As a reminder, Western governments advise their citizens against nonessential travel to Pakistan due a nationwide high threat from terrorism, kidnapping, and sectarian violence. Travel should only be considered with strict security protocols in place.