Washington (March 16, 2018): Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has arrived in the United States on a six-day private visit.
It is the first time since his assuming the office in August last; Prime Minister Abbasi has opted to avail break. The Prime Minister landed in Pennsylvania.
The Prime Minister will be attending his younger sister who underwent sensitive surgery in Philadelphia. He will be having brief stopover in London on his return journey on Sunday next where he will be visiting ailing spouse of the former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, said the sources.
He will look after his sister himself at the hospital. It is expected that the prime minister’s another sister Senator Saadia Abbasi will also leave for the US in a couple of days as she will have to apply for a visa after surrendering her American nationality. She gave up her US nationality before submitting nomination papers for contesting Senate berth. The issuance of a visa will take some time due to which she will not be able to be with her sister on the day of operation.
Sources said the premier has traveled by a commercial plane and will bear all the expenses from his own pocket. No personal staff has traveled with him except his Chief Security Staff (CSO) Shahid Rana which is compulsion on account of security blue-book.
The sources pointed out that in his absence, the federal cabinet will look after all the affairs under collective responsibility while Interior Minister Professor Ahsan Iqbal Chaudhary and Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif will oversee the essential assignments.
The Pakistan Embassy in the US has been informed under the instructions of the Prime Minister that since he is on a private visit due to which there will be no official protocol required for him.
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