RAWALPINDI: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was scheduled to leave for Lahore on Friday but had to postpone his departure twice due to his important engagements with party leaders.

Following disqualification by the Supreme Court Nawaz Sharif was scheduled to leave for Lahore by air from Nur Khan Airbase at 4pm.

But due to his engagements with party leaders and close aides, he postponed his departure up to 6pm.

The sources said the police had been deployed along Islamabad Expressway to Nur Khan Airbase at about 2.15pm, but later the route-duty was closed at 5pm.

However, the police were kept on standby because the former PM was likely to go to Murree.

Later, the airport authorities had been informed that there will be no VIP movement at 6pm.

Security was tightened at Benazir Bhutto International Airport with extra security force officials and police deployed inside and outside the airport premises.

Nawaz Sharif will go into a session with close aides at the Punjab House on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Justice Gulzar Ahmed, one of the judges on the bench, which announced much awaited verdict on the Panamagate case, left for Karachi by a PIA flight at about 1.15pm.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2017