Islamabad, March 22 Shehbaz Sharif, the President of the oppostiton Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), returned to Islamabad on Sunday from London where he spent the last four months with his ailing brother and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Announcing his return on Twitter, Shehbaz urged citizens to practice social distancing and to self-isolate if possible, reports Dawn news.
"Just landed in Islamabad maintain a distance from one another and try to stay at your homes so that none of us are forced to part with our loved ones due to this virus...," he said in the tweet.
On Saturday, PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb had said that Shehbaz, who is the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, had decided to return to the country "in view of the situation of the spread of coronavirus" which has so far infected 645 people in the country and killed three people.
The PML-N president had left for London last November along with Nawaz Sharif, who was allowed to travel abroad by the government and courts to seek medical treatment.
Aurangzeb had said although the former premier was scheduled to undergo surgery next week, Shehbaz had "decided that his presence among the (Pakistani) people was more important".
Shehbaz's decision to return to the country comes as the government on Saturday announced the suspension of all incoming international flights to Pakistan for two weeks.
However, it was announced that flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines would be allowed to bring back its aircraft along with booked passengers.
( With inputs from IANS )