The war against state institutions will be dealt with, Dr Asim Hussain, a leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), said Friday morning as he flew back to the country from Dubai. The political belief some of the nation's strategic players hold, that they can upend the game if they are ousted from it, will not be allowed to continue, Hussain said, adding that the Parliament will decide whether to exercise the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) in the cases of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Speaking to media, Dr Asim predicted that the PPP would win the next general elections in 2018 by a landslide margin and that his party was mindful of political tactics of opponents, that it would not allow anyone to play havoc with the country.

Criticising Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Dr Asim said that the Sharif brothers were defaming the country by pursuing a self-centered political agenda and that they were indulging in a war against state institutions. Asim Hussain was in London since November after the Supreme Court of Pakistan granted him permission to travel.

On Thursday, the Interior ministry finally removed the PPP leader's name from the Exit Control List (ECL) after his lawyer moved a contempt of court application in the Supreme Court. Dr Asim through his lawyer Barrister Latif Khosa filed the application seeking initiation of contempt of court proceedings against the interior secretary and additional secretary for not removing his name from the ECL despite the court orders. In his plea, he stated that the authorities did not remove his name from the ECL, which is a flagrant violation of the apex court's order.

Copyright Independent News Pakistan, 2017