Nawaz Sharif, the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) and a former prime minister, arrived in Saudi Arabia on Thursday to kick off his much-anticipated return home.
During his week-long stay in Saudi Arabia, Sharif plans to undertake the religious pilgrimage of Umrah. He is accompanied by family members and close aides on this leg of his journey.
Following his time in Saudi Arabia, Sharif is scheduled to depart for Dubai on either October 17th or 18th, where he will spend three days. This marks the initial phase of his return to Pakistan as part of the party’s plan.
Sharif’s return to Pakistan will be via a special plane named “Umeed-e-Pakistan,” with the capacity to accommodate approximately 150 passengers.
Accompanied by party members and journalists, the former premier is set to leave Dubai for Pakistan on October 21st.
The special flight will first land in Islamabad from Dubai and then proceed to Lahore, where Sharif is scheduled to address a gathering at Minar-e-Pakistan.
Sharif, who has been embroiled in various legal cases, including the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) Avenfield, Al-Azizia, Hill Metal, and the Flagship references, was permanently disqualified from holding public office by the Supreme Court in 2017 due to failure to declare a receivable salary. He has resided in London since 2019 after being granted permission to travel abroad for medical treatment.
