Nawaz Sharif’s much hyped return will take place in Islamabad instead of Lahore, where arrangements for a rally are being made, a new report has revealed.

Sources say Nawaz will travel on a Fly Dubai flight FZ-4525 which will take off from Dubai at 9:25am.

The flight will land at the Islamabad International Airport around 12:30pm. The flight has already been granted an NOC to land. Later, it will take off for Lahore at 2:30pm.

The Boeing 737-800 will carry 152 passengers including Nawaz’s aides, staff members and party workers.

Nawaz’s personal physician Dr Adnan, Nasir Janjua and Senator Irfan Siddiqui will also accompany Nawaz on the flight.

Reports added that 24 journalists and anchors will also be aboard the flight.

Nawaz reached Dubai on Thursday, where he stayed at the house of Ali Dar, the son of former Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.

The PMLN chief is returning to Pakistan after nearly four years in exile. He has already been granted protective bail by Islamabad High Court ruling out the possibility of being arrested upon arrival.

Sources told Aaj News that some high-level officials and party workers met with Nawaz in Dubai. They also added that the PML-N supremo’s flight to Dubai from Saudi Arabia was delayed due to his meeting with one of the high officials of Saudi Arabia.

This is the fourth time that Nawaz is returning to Pakistan after ending his self-imposed exile. In the last three times, his flight had landed in a hostile environment. The PML-N has hoped that the government would give an election date after the return of Nawaz.