JEDDAH: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Sunday arrived here along with his family members on a private visit.

At King Abdulaziz Airport, the prime minister was received by Deputy Governor of Makkah region Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz.

The prime minister, who flew aborad a commercial flight of PIA, will perform Umrah besides paying respects at Roza-i-Rasool (Peace Be Upon Him).

Mohammad Asghar adds from Rawalpindi: According to sources, a team of bomb disposal experts and Special Branch officials carried out an inspection of the aircraft before the prime minister and his family boarded the flight, PK-741.

Usually, the Airport Security Force carries out security checks of passengers travelling on commercial flights but for the prime minister’s movement the task is done by the Special Branch.

“All the passengers accompanying the VVIP are neither searched nor checked by the ASF as the charge of the airport is taken over by the Special Branch,” a security official said.

Published in Dawn, June 19th, 2017