ISLAMABAD: Pakistan observed a day of national mourning on Monday to honor the late Kuwaiti emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, who was laid to rest a day earlier.
Sheikh Nawaf died on Saturday aged 86 and was buried at the Sulaibikhat Cemetery the following day after a private funeral attended by select relatives. He has been succeeded by his half-brother Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Kuwait’s day-to-day ruler during much of Sheikh Nawaf’s reign due to his ill-health.
“Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has declared Monday, December 18 as a day of mourning in Pakistan as an expression of fraternal solidarity on behalf of the people and government of Pakistan with the royal family, the government, and people of Kuwait,” the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan said.
The national flag was flown at half-mast throughout the country on Monday to honor the “sad demise” of the late Kuwaiti emir.
Kakar is scheduled to travel to Kuwait to offer condolences for the death of the late emir, the APP said, joining a number of foreign dignitaries such as Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.
Kuwait is on a 40-day official mourning period, as well as a three-day shutdown of government offices that will last until Tuesday.
Kakar, who is Pakistan’s caretaker prime minister, had gone to Kuwait only last month, where he met with the Gulf state’s top leadership and signed several cooperation and investment deals.
Pakistan and Kuwait had agreed to broaden and deepen their relations, specifically focusing on areas related to manpower, information technology, mineral exploration, food security, energy and defense.
