Shaukat Dar
LONDON: Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) supremo Nawaz Sharif has departed for Saudi Arabia from London on Tuesday to perform Umrah, while PML-N chief organiser Maryam Nawaz has already reached the holy land before her father’s landing in Jeddah.
Maryam Nawaz reached Jeddah in the wee hours of Tuesday. Nawaz Sharif, who will be spending the last ten days of Ramadan in Madina and Makkah for years in the past, is visiting the holy cities after six years.
Initially, Nawaz Sharif had planned to stay in Saudi Arabia till April 26, but now Hussain Nawaz and his family have requested him to extend his stay in Jeddah at his residence. Hussain Nawaz has a business in Saudi Arabia, and his Arab wife has a house in Jeddah.
Nawaz Sharif could prolong his stay in Jeddah till mid-May. He would stay for two days in Jeddah before going to Makkah for performing Umrah. He has planned to offer his first Friday prayers at the Holy Ka’aba and Jumatul Wida at Masjad-e-Nabvi in Madina.
In Jeddah, Nawaz Sharif would have a meeting with Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz, who is moving to the coast city on the Red Sea this week.
Prime Minister Mohammad Shehbaz Sharif and Finance Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar had delayed their departure for Saudi Arabia due to the political situation in the country. They could visit the Kingdom for a day or two early next week on the day when Eidul-Fitar would be observed in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi King invites Nawaz Sharif
Earlier, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud invited Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to the kingdom to perform Umrah as a gesture of goodwill, PML-N supremo is considered close to the royal family.
A private TV channel, quoting sources, said the three-time former prime minister — who has been in a self-imposed exile in London on medical grounds since November 2019 —would depart for Saudi Arabia along with his daughter Maryam Nawaz and other family members via a special plane on April 11. Nawaz Sharif will be the royal guest in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
He would spend the last ten days of the holy month of Ramazan in Madina and Makkah.
