Nawaz Sharif shortens US visit fearing protests back home

Islamabad, Oct 14: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has shortened his US visit from five to three days, skipping his Chicago engagements amid fears that the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf may hold protest in the city, a media report said on Wednesday.

Sharif is expected to reach in the US on October 20 instead of October 19 as initially planned. Dawn reported that shortening the trip has forced the organisers to cancel at least two major engagements, including an address to potential Pakistani-American investors in Chicago where he was to arrive on October 19.

The visit to Chicago has been cancelled, apparently because the government fears that cricketer-turned- politician's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf party may hold protest against the Prime Minister, as it did last month during Finance Minister Ishaq Dhar's visit to New York.

Now the organisers have planned a community meeting in Washington on October 23. Sharif will fly back same day instead of October 24 as planned initially.

Preparation are going at full swing as the senior officials of the Pakistan Embassy in Washington have been busy preparing for the visit for the last two months. On October 22, Sharif will meet President Barack Obama at the White House.

PTI