Raheel Sharif arrives in Lahore with some Saudi citizens

Published July 8, 2017
Ex-army chief retired Gen Raheel Sharif arrives at the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake on June 5, 2015.— AFP/File
Ex-army chief retired Gen Raheel Sharif arrives at the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake on June 5, 2015.— AFP/File

LAHORE: Former army chief retired Gen Raheel Sharif, the head of the Saudi-led Islamic Military Alliance to Fight Terrorism (IMAFT), reached here from Saudi Arabia by a special plane on Friday.

According to media reports, some Saudi nationals accompanied Gen Sharif who reportedly left for his residence from Lahore airport’s old terminal while the Saudis moved to a local hotel.

Gen Sharif had left Lahore for Riyadh on April 21 to assume the command of the 41-nation IMAFT after the government quietly cleared him to serve the coalition.

“Gen Raheel Sharif has been issued a no objection certificate to join the IMAFT after GHQ’s consent and meeting legal formalities,” the defence minister had told a TV channel, as a special aircraft sent by the Saudi government had landed in Lahore to take the retired army chief to Riyadh.

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2017

Opinion

Editorial

Business concerns
26 Apr, 2024

Business concerns

WITH the country confronting one of its gravest economic crises, it is time for the government and business ...
Musical chairs
26 Apr, 2024

Musical chairs

THE petitioners are quite helpless. Yet again, they are being expected to wait while the bench supposed to hear...
Global arms race
26 Apr, 2024

Global arms race

THE figure is staggering. According to the annual report of Sweden-based think tank Stockholm International Peace...
Digital growth
Updated 25 Apr, 2024

Digital growth

Democratising digital development will catalyse a rapid, if not immediate, improvement in human development indicators for the underserved segments of the Pakistani citizenry.
Nikah rights
25 Apr, 2024

Nikah rights

THE Supreme Court recently delivered a judgement championing the rights of women within a marriage. The ruling...
Campus crackdowns
25 Apr, 2024

Campus crackdowns

WHILE most Western governments have either been gladly facilitating Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, or meekly...