Pakistan's new government has directed the interior ministry to renew the passports of deposed ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif and former finance minister Ishaq Dar, according to a media report. The development comes as a debate in the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has begun on the return of the party chief and the three-time prime minister Sharif's expected return from London after his younger brother Shehbaz Sharif became the new prime minister of the country.

Quoting sources, Geo TV reported that the Pakistani High Commission in London has also been directed to start work on the renewal of the passports of the PML-N leaders. Several corruption cases had been launched by the previous government led by Imran Khan against the 72-year-old supremo of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) since his ouster from office by the Supreme Court in July 2017 in the Panama Papers case.