Nawaz to reach Saudi Arabia today on private visit

LONDON: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supremo and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif will reach Pakistan in a chartered plane from Dubai on October 21.

The Geo News reported that the flight carrying Nawaz Sharif would have the name “Umeed-e-Pakistan” and carry approximately 150 passengers. “The booking has been made and all arrangements are in place,” said sources.

Nawaz Sharif, along with party members and journalists, is scheduled to leave Dubai for Pakistan on October 21. The special flight will land in Islamabad before proceeding to Lahore where Nawaz will address a gathering at the Minar-e-Pakistan ground. Nawaz will reach Saudi Arabia for Umrah today (Wednesday). He will stay in Saudi Arabia for a week and hold important meetings. He will arrive in Dubai on October 18.

In Saudi Arabia, he will be accompanied by Mian Nasir Janjua, Waqar Ahmed, Karim Yousaf and others. Nasir Janjua, owner of MIDJAC company, spent nearly three years in exile in London with Nawaz and returned to Pakistan just a few months ago.

Earlier this year, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) former head Bashir Memon had revealed that former prime minister Imran Khan and his then-principal secretary Azam Khan time and again forced him to use all legal and illegal means, including use of torture and anti-terrorism laws, to make Janjua give a false confessional statement against PML-N Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz in the judge Arshad Malik video scandal.

Memon said it was planned in the PM House that Janjua, who had been a 30-year-old trusted friend of Nawaz, should be made the main culprit since he was a businessman and would be an easy target to become an approver against Maryam and senior PML-N leadership. Janjua then left Pakistan for London and didn’t return till Imran Khan was in power. On Tuesday, PMLN Senators Ishaq Dar and Irfan Siddiqui said Nawaz would leave for Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. Refuting rumours pertaining to Nawaz’s presence in Saudi Arabia, Siddiqui has confirmed that the three-time former prime minister is still in the United Kingdom and that his visit to Saudi Arabia is of a private nature as the ex-premier will perform Umrah.

Ishaq Dar said there was no chance of Nawaz being arrested on return to Pakistan. He said transit and protective bails would be obtained from court and Nawaz would follow standard legal procedures. He said the PML-N narrative would be around the economy and added: “Recovery of the economy is the best revenge.”