Nawaz Sharif Launches Election Campaign Amidst Controversy

Former PM Sharif returns to politics as rival Imran Khan faces legal challenges, raising concerns of election manipulation.

Nawaz Sharif, former Pakistani Prime Minister and leader of the Pakistan Muslim League, has launched his election campaign for the country's February 8 election.
Sharif's main rival, former Prime Minister Imran Khan, is currently serving a prison sentence and his party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has been barred from using its cricket bat symbol, forcing its members to run as independents.
Sharif, who returned to the country last year after a four-year self-exile in London, had his previous corruption charges overturned on appeal, clearing the way for him to run for a fourth term.
Despite allegations of election rigging and manipulation, Khan’s party has said it does not plan to boycott the elections.
Other politicians, including former Foreign Affairs Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who heads the Pakistan People’s Party, have also stepped up their campaigning for the parliamentary election.