President Alvi to leave for Kuwait to offer condolences

President Alvi to leave for Kuwait to offer condolences
Caption: file photo

Islamabad: (Web Desk) President Dr Arif Alvi will leave for Kuwait on Monday (today) to offer condolences over the sad demise of Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

A statement issued by the Foreign Office (FO) said that the purpose of the President's visit was to offer condolences to the family of former Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

According to FO Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez, President Alvi will also meet the new Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

On September 30, Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was sworn in as new Emir of Kuwait succeeding after the late Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

Sheikh Nawaf was named Crown Prince in 2006, the same year Sheikh Sabah was appointed emir.

Under Kuwait's constitution, each new crown prince must be approved by a majority in the country's National Assembly.

As per the Kuwait’s traditions, the succession of the Emir and Crown Prince positions are limited to the descendants of Mubarak al-Sabah.

Sheikh Nawaf, 83, previously served as the minister of defense and the minister of Interior.

After the 1990 invasion of Iraq, he became the minister of labour and social affairs, a role he held until 1992. Between 1994 and 2003, Sheikh Nawaf was the deputy chief of the National Guard.

In July, the late Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah authorized Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf to temporarily take over some responsibilities as Deputy Emir.

Earlier, the Royal Court of Kuwait announced the death of the emir.

Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah died on Tuesday at the age of 91.

Sabah, following an unspecified condition, was flown to the United States in July for medical treatment after a surgery.

Dubbed as the "dean of Arab diplomacy" Sheikh Sabah had ruled the Arab country since 2006 and had commandeered its foreign policy for the past 50 years.

Sheikh Sabah earned the title "dean of Arab diplomacy" for his efforts to restore relations with states that had thrown their weight behind Iraq during the 1990-91 Gulf War.

He came to power in January 2006 after Emir Sheikh Saad al-Abdullah was deposed on health grounds by the Kuwaiti parliament just nine days into his new role as the Emir.