ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have been invited by Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to the kingdom to perform Umrah as a goodwill gesture.
The PML-N Quaid is considered close to the royal family.
Sources said the three-time former prime minister, who is in a self-imposed exile in London on medical grounds since November 2019, will depart for Saudi Arabia along with his daughter Maryam Nawaz and other family members via special plane on April 11. Nawaz Sharif will be the state guest in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
He will spend the last 10 days of the holy month of Ramazan in Madina and Makkah. However, the final schedule of Sharif’s visit to the Kingdom has not been announced as yet. It merits mentioning here that various ministers and parliamentarians will perform Umrah during the period.
According to media reports, the news of Sharif’s planned visit to Saudi Arabia has led to speculation that he may use the opportunity to return to Pakistan. However, there has been no official confirmation from Sharif or his party about his plans to return.
Mr Sharif has been living in London for treatment since 2019.
