Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz leave for weeklong trip to Geneva

LONDON: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) supremo Nawaz Sharif and Senior Vice-President Maryam Nawaz on Wednesday left London for a week-long trip to Geneva, sources said.

The sources confirmed that the father-daughter duo will stay in the Swiss capital for a week. They flew from the Heathrow airport Wednesday afternoon on a Swiss flight along with two other members of the family.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will also be visiting Geneva to co-host the International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan — along with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres — on January 9. The conference is meant to serve as a platform to marshal international support for Pakistan’s flood-affected population. The sources mentioned that the PMLN supremo and his daughter will go for sightseeing and also have meetings scheduled during the trip.

However, it was learnt that Nawaz will also meet with PM Shehbaz, who is expected to reach the Swiss city on Sunday.

“Nawaz Sharif’s heart surgeon is also based in Geneva and he has made clinical appointments in the city for him,” the sources said, adding that it’s the same surgeon who had often visited the elder Sharif in London at the Avenfield Apartment. The two PML-N leaders will return to London after a week, as per the sources. Last year on November 21, the PMLN supremo had embarked on a 10-day five-nation European tour accompanied by his daughter and other family members.

It should be noted that the newly-appointed senior vice-president of PMLN has visited the British capital to spend time with her father. Last year in October, Maryam reunited with her father after three years.

Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s son Junaid Safdar is set to reach Pakistan to settle there full time. Sources have confirmed that Maryam Nawaz will be reaching Pakistan in about two weeks to concentrate on politics and her son Junaid Safdar with his wife Ayesha Saif will be reaching Pakistan on Friday from Doha.

Junaid Safdar was with his mother and grandfather when the family spent about three weeks in Europe on holidays in October and November but as Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz touched down in Geneva, Junaid and his wife Ayesha were preparing to leave for Pakistan from Doha, Qatar. The couple reached Doha a week ago and stayed at Ayesha Saif’s house in Doha where Senator Saifur Rehman owns businesses.

A source confirmed that the couple will be shifting full time to Pakistan and will be assisting Maryam Nawaz in her work. Information Minister Mariam Aurangzeb announced on Wednesday that Maryam Nawaz will be arriving Pakistan in the third week of this month.