Nawaz Sharif celebrates Diwali in London; Imran Khan gang says it's to appease Rishi Sunak

As India celebrated the festival of lights, Diwali, on October 24, Pakistan's former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, also marked the occasion by cutting a cake with his daughter Maryam Nawaz in his London-based office. During the ceremony, the fugitive Prime Minister, who has been facing multiple corruption cases in his country, was seen with Members of the National Assembly Darshan Lal, Saira Tarar, Pervaiz Rasheed, Junaid Safdar, and Anusha Tariq. While greeting Hindu Community in Pakistan and around the world on the occasion of Diwali, he can be heard saying "Happy Diwali" to the members present in the chamber.

Though this was not the first occasion when Nawaz celebrated the festival, supporters of the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party linked it with the appointment of Indian-origin and Hindu leader, Rishi Sunak as the Premier of the UK. Some people stressed that Nawaz was not celebrating the festival but was celebrating the appointment of the new Conservative leader. PTI supporters took to social media platforms and dubbed his celebration as the fear of being thrown out of the country amid Sunak's appointment as the head of the state. According to the critics of Nawaz, he was playing a tactic to please Sunak for the extension of his visa.

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Nawaz Sharif: A fugitive leader

The 72-year-old three-time premier, against whom several corruption cases were launched by the government of former prime minister Imran Khan, had left for London in November 2019 after the Lahore High Court granted him four weeks of permission to go abroad for his treatment. Later, he was declared a fugitive by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on June 24 last year for consistently avoiding court appearances in corruption-related cases. Currently, he has been living in exile in the United Kingdom after going to the country under the pretext of medical treatment.

PTI supporters troll Sharif for celebrating Diwali

Meanwhile, some netizens also linked Sharif's Diwali celebrations with the killing of a Pakistan journalist in Kenya. "As Pakistan and Pakistanis mourn the assassination of Arshad Sharif, the Sharif Family celebrates Diwali to please Rishi Sunak, the first Hindu Prime Minister of the UK whom they need for UK visas and asylum," read a Twitter post. "Lanat ho PMLN walo wesa un ka dawali mana banta b ho (Shame on PMLN as you are celebrating Diwali)," commented another user. "The people of Pakistan are dying due to inflation and this dishonest family is celebrating Diwali in England. These children of Hindus have imposed themselves on us," tweeted a user.

UK gets its first Hindu PM

It is worth mentioning, Sunak, 42, has become the first Hindu and the first person of South Asian descent to lead the country. The historical moment is significant for people with Asian roots because it comes during Diwali, the five-day festival of lights celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains. Earlier this year, Sunak, a practising Hindu, spoke about the significance of lighting Diwali candles outside the official Downing Street residence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the post he held for two years until he resigned in July.