ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar will head to Kuwait Monday on a one-day trip to offer condolences on the death of Emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah’s, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Sunday.
Sheikh Nawaf had died on Saturday, aged 86, according to the royal court, just over three years after assuming power. The cause of his death was not immediately disclosed.
He was admitted to a hospital late last month due to what the state news agency described at the time as an emergency health problem but said he was in a stable condition.
Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah, 83, who has been Kuwait’s de facto ruler since 2021, when the frail emir handed over most of his duties, was named as Sheikh Nawaf’s successor.
Kuwait has announced 40 days of mourning and a three-day closure of official departments.
The FO said Kakar would undertake the visit to “convey to the royal family, the government and the people of Kuwait the sympathies and condolences of the government and people of Pakistan” on Sheikh Nawaf’s death.
In a message on social media platform X on Saturday, Kakar had said that Pakistan stood in solidarity with the royal family and people of Kuwait at this moment of grief. He said the late emir would always be remembered for his contribution to strengthening Pakistan-Kuwait relations.
Sheikh Nawaf laid to rest in small ceremony
Sheikh Nawaf was laid to rest on Sunday at a private funeral attended by select relatives. Draped in a Kuwaiti flag, the coffin was carried into a Kuwait mosque for prayers ahead of a burial ceremony that was broadcast on state television.
Attendance was limited to members of the ruling family, making for an intimate and low-key farewell for the ruler who reigned for three years. The speaker of Kuwait’s parliament was also present.
“The choice reflects the late emir’s low profile character,” said Bader al-Saif, a history professor at Kuwait University.
The new emir Sheikh Meshal, who is expected to deliver his oath before parliament on Wednesday, attended the service. He will receive condolences on Monday and Tuesday from the wider public.
During Sunday’s burial ceremony, rows of relatives stood at Shiekh Nawaf’s final resting place and performed prayers.
Some crouched before his grave, cupping their hands, and reciting verses from the Holy Quran.
Across Kuwait City, large digital billboards displayed pictures of the late ruler, dubbing him the “emir of wisdom, forgiveness and peace”. Flags where lowered to half-mast amid a 40-day mourning period that will also see government offices shut until Tuesday.
Speaking outside the mosque where the funeral took place, Kuwaiti citizen Ghanem al-Sulaimani said he was saddened by the death of the man he called the “emir of humility and forgiveness”.
“He left a great legacy … distinguished by his great love for his people,” he told AFP.
As he formally takes the helm of the Opec member with the world’s seventh-largest oil reserves from his half-brother, Sheikh Meshal is expected to preserve key Kuwaiti foreign policies, including support for Gulf Arab unity, Western alliances and good ties to Riyadh — a priority relationship.
Sheikh Nawaf’s three-year reign as emir, relatively short by Kuwait standards, was marred by ill-health. His predecessor and brother, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, reigned for 14 years and shaped the Gulf state’s foreign policy for two generations.
Sheikh Nawaf’s six decades in public service included stints as minister of defence, interior and labour. He was also deputy chief of the national guard and a governor.
