Sharif travels to Europe for ‘family vacation’

LONDON: The members of the Sharif family, including former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz, have travelled to Europe from Britain for a 10-day holiday.

Sharif, Maryam, Hussain, Hasan, Junaid Safdar and other family members will travel to various cities in Europe for a litle over 10 days, going from one destination to the other via train or air. The purpose of the trip is purely leisure, informed quarters said.

Sharif is said to be travelling on a diplomatic passport which was issued to him by the government last week.

His passport expired last year, during the Pakistan Tehrik-e-insaf (PTI) government, which had said it would cancel the passport.

Sharif at the time did not apply for a renewal as he was aware that the government would not grant a new passport.

In April this year, ater former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan was removed from power ater a vote of no confidence, Sharif was given an ordinary passport.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) last week cleared Sharif and gave the go ahead for him to receive a diplomatic passport with a five-year validity.

Diplomatic passports are issued to dignitaries of the state, diplomats and other entitled categories in pursuance of the Passport & Visa Manual, 2006.

Former prime ministers and their dependent children are also granted diplomatic passports.

Approval of diplomatic passports is the responsibility of MOFA.

Separately, Sharif had withdrawn an appeal filed with an immigration tribunal of Britain, in which he had challenged a Home Office decision to deny an extension of his stay in the UK.

The Home Office decision came last August, but granted Sharif an opportunity to appeal, which meant he was legally allowed to remain in the United Kingdom till he had exhausted all avenues of appeal.