PM Shehbaz leaves for UK to attend coronation of King Charles III

• PM to represent Pakistan at coronation ceremony of King Charles III.
• British monarch, royal family great friends of Pakistan, says PM.
• PM will also meet PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, sources say.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday left for London to attend the coronation ceremony of Britain's King Charles III on May 6. 

In a brief statement today, PM Shehbaz said that the two countries have been “great friends” and that during the trip, he would hold meetings with other world leaders.

Taking to the micro-blogging platform, the prime minister tweeted: “Leaving for the UK today to represent Pakistan at the coronation ceremony of His Majesty King Charles III. The UK-Pakistan relations are rooted in shared history and multifaceted bonds that have grown stronger over the decades. The British monarch and the royal family have been great friends of Pakistan.

“I will also use the opportunity to attend the Commonwealth leaders' summit as well as engage with other world leaders bilaterally.”

After that, the prime minister will have a series of consultations with Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif, sources told The News.

The prime minister couldn’t go to Saudi Arabia last month to perform Umrah and meet Nawaz Sharif, who had reached there to spend the last ten days of Ramazan. It is understood that some important decisions would be finalised in the meetings.

PM Shehbaz — who will travel by his special plane — could have a technical stopover in Istanbul on his way to London while before returning home, he could touch down in Saudi Arabia. 

The schedule for the one-way stopover is yet to be finalised, the sources said.

Yesterday, the prime minister held extensive consultations with his cabinet colleagues. The sources claimed that the exercise was a part of his preparations for the London visit.