Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa expressed on Friday grief over the passing of United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan.
PM Shehbaz Sharif said he was “deeply grieved to hear about the passing of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed.”
Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed: the modernising leader who steered UAE through a tense era
“UAE has lost a visionary leader and Pakistan a great friend. We send our heartfelt condolences & sympathies to the government & people of the UAE. May Allah rest his soul in peace!” he tweeted.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa also offered his condolences.
“Pakistan has lost a great friend. May Allah Almighty bless his soul and give strength to bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) quoted the army chief as saying.
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also offered his condolences on the demise of the UAE president, saying “our thoughts and prayers are with the Royal family and the people of the UAE.”
Former prime minister Imran Khan said he was truly saddened to hear about the UAE president's passing away.
UAE president Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed dies
He paid tribute to Khalifa, calling him a great friend of Pakistan and a visionary leader of his people.
About Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed
Khalifa, born in 1948, had rarely been seen in public since suffering a stroke in 2014 and his half-brother Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, known as MbZ, has been the de facto ruler of the U.S.-allied UAE, an OPEC oil producer.
"The UAE has lost its righteous son and leader of the 'empowerment phase' and guardian of its blessed journey," MbZ said on Twitter, praising Khalifa's wisdom and generosity.
Under the constitution, vice-president and premier Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, ruler of Dubai, would act as president until the federal council which groups the rulers of the seven emirates meets within 30 days to elect a new president.