ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Monday visited the embassy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Islamabad to offer heartfelt condolences to the royal family, the people and the government of the sheikhdom over the death of its president, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan.
President al-Nahyan, a pro-Western moderniser who had aligned the Gulf Arab state closer to the United States and its allies, died on Friday.
Khalifa, born in 1948, had rarely been seen in public since suffering a stroke in 2014. He was buried and funeral prayers were held on Friday, state news agency WAM said.
During the meeting, Alvi expressed his grief over al-Nahyan’s demise and said the people of Pakistan were deeply saddened over his death as he was a true and sincere friend of Islamabad.
Speaking on the occasion, he said that the event was a great loss for both the nations, adding that Pakistan shared the grief of the royal family and the people of the UAE.
While paying rich tribute to the services rendered by the late president for Pakistan, the president said that ties between the two nations under his leadership were strengthened.
He also reiterated the resolve to further improve and cement the friendship between the two countries.
UAE’s ambassador Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Salem Al-Zaabi thanked the president for the condolence visit and said that both Pakistan and UAE enjoyed strong relations.
He also appreciated the contributions of the Pakistani diaspora to the economic development of the Emirates.
