Nawaz Sharif reaches Dubai ahead of Pakistan return

DUBAI: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) supremo Nawaz Sharif has reached Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), ahead of his much-anticipated return to Pakistan.

Nawaz, who has been in self-imposed exile since 2019, left for London in the middle of his seven-year jail term on medical grounds. The elder will leave for Pakistan via Dubai on October 21. He will be meeting a selected group of people during his two-day stay in Dubai.

The former premier will reach Islamabad on Saturday afternoon and will be accompanied by around 150 people on his return to Pakistan in a chartered plane.

PMLN has decided to hire a private jet to bring the party head to the country on October 21, sources said. They also disclosed that the PMLN leaders contacted a private aviation company to hire a private jet for Nawaz Sharif.

10,000 personnel to protect Nawaz Sharif upon arrival

Moreover, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has also been contacted to grant permission for the private jet route, sources added.

It was learnt that PMLN has also acquired a private company’s services to shower flower petals at the party’s rally at the Minar-e-Pakistan following the return of Sharif. It emerged that the Cessna plane would be used for showering flower petals on the PMLN’s rally venue and other parts of the city.

The CAA also issued a notification for using the private jet for showering petals on the city at 3:30 pm.

Earlier, on Thursday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) granted protective bail to Nawaz Sharif in Avenfield and Al-Azizia cases until October 24. The former premier had approached the IHC, seeking court’s restraining order from arrest as he could approach the court.

Meanwhile, an accountability court also suspended permanent warrant of former PM Nawaz Sharif in Toshakhana case. The court, on a petition, suspended warrant against Nawaz Sharif in Toshakhana reference till October 24. “The warrant will be restored if he fails to appear in court on Oct 24,” the court announced. – INP