Islamabad (Web Desk): Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif Friday expressed deep grief over the demise of President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan.
In his condolence message on Twitter, the premier said that with the death of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Ak-Nahyan, the UAE had lost a visionary leader and Pakistan lost a great friend.
"We send our heartfelt condolences & sympathies to the government & people of the UAE. May Allah rest his soul in peace," PM Shehbaz said.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa and all ranks of Pakistan Army have expressed heartfelt condolence on the sad demise of UAE President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan.
According to a message by the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General, COAS General Bajwa said Pakistan has lost a great friend. He prayed the Allah Almighty to bless the departed soul and give strength to the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss.
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has expressed grief and sorrow on the sad demise of the UAE president.
In a condolence statement, he said the role of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan in the development of the United Arab Emirates is commendable and unforgettable.
Bilawal said with the demise of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the Arabian region lost an extra-ordinary ruler.
The foreign minister said he shares the grief of the people and the royal family of UAE on the death of Sheikh Khalifa.
UAE President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan passed away at the age of 73, state news agency WAM reported on Friday.
“The Ministry of Presidential Affairs condoles the people of the UAE, the Arab and Islamic nation and the world over the demise of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the UAE,” a Wam statement read.
Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed, who was born in 1948, came to power in 2004 in the richest emirate Abu Dhabi and became the head of state.
According to Khaleej Times, Khalifa was elected to succeed his father, the late His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who served as the UAE’s first president since the union in 1971 until he passed away on November 2, 2004.
Now after his demise he is expected to be succeeded as ruler of Abu Dhabi by his half-brother Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan.
Mohammed bin Zayed has been the de facto ruler of the US-allied UAE, particularly after Khalifa suffered a stroke in 2014, following which he has rarely been seen in public.
Sheikh Khalifa was the second President of the UAE and the 16th Ruler of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. He was the eldest son of Sheikh Zayed.