PM in London for Charles’ coronation

Shehbaz to hold consultations with Nawaz

LAHORE:

Amidst political and economic crises at home, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday reached London on a five-day visit to attend the coronation ceremony of King Charles III, besides holding political consultation with his elder brother and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

The prime minister is accompanied by Tariq Fatmi and his three staff members. At the airport, he was received by Pakistan’s High Commissioner Moazzam Ahmad Khan and Special Representative of the British Foreign Secretary David Gordon-MacLeod.

Shehbaz will represent Pakistan Pakistan at the coronation ceremony of King Charles III on May 6. In the meeting with Nawaz, sources said, Shehbaz would seek his counsel on the issues of elections, ongoing confrontation with the Supreme Court and other matters.

During his visit, the prime minister will consult with his elder brother and party supremo Nawaz Sharif, who has been living in the UK since 2019 to evade arrest, on the issue of elections that has brought his government at logger heads with the Supreme Court.

Well-informed sources in the government told The Express Tribune that the prime minister will discuss the option of going for an early election with Nawaz Sharif to end legal and political impasse, though the elder Sharif is said to be averse to early elections.

It was revealed that many constituent parties in the alliance, especially those with presence in Balochistan, were staunchly against early dissolution of assemblies.

A JUI-F leader from Baluchistan, who is also a federal minister, told The Express Tribune said, “We have openly announced our party position against early election. If such a decision is agreed upon, the JUI-F will reassess its alliance with the government.”

Earlier in the day Shehbaz took to the microblogging website Twitter, writing: “The UK-Pakistan relations are rooted in shared history & multifaceted bonds that have grown stronger over the decades.”

Shehbaz added that the British monarch and the royal family had been great friends of Pakistan. He announced that he would also attend the Commonwealth leader’s summit as well as engage with other world leaders, bilaterally.

Prior to his departure from Lahore, Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi called on the prime minister. During the meeting, the chief minister briefed him about the procurement of wheat production in the province.

Overall law and order situation in Punjab and other matters of mutual interest also came under discussion. According to an insider, the issue of the recent raid on the residence of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain was also discussed.

Charles, 74, ascended to the British throne on his mother's death on September 8, 2022. Before that he was the longest-serving British heir apparent, having surpassed Edward VII's record of 59 years.

With world leaders and heads of state descending on London, as well as hundreds of thousands of expected visitors, London’s Metropolitan Police were spearheading a major security operation—dubbed “Golden Orb”.

The Met said that thousands of police officers, snipers and cameras would be used this weekend to ensure the coronation passes off without incident, adding that their security operation would be “one of the most significant and largest” they had ever led.

Saturday will see the largest one-day mobilisation of officers in decades, with just over 11,500 police on duty, including 2,500 specialist officers. They will line the processional route, manage crowds and road closures, protect guests and carry out searches.

“There will be more than 29,000 police officer deployments over the coming week in the lead up to Coronation Day and over the rest of the Bank Holiday weekend,” the force said in a statement.

(WITH INPUT FROM AGENCIES)