Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Capt (Retd) Muhammad Safdar reached Lahore in early hours of Wednesday after they were released from Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on a 12-hour parole to attend the funeral of Begum Kulsoom Nawaz.
Kulsoom, the wife of Sharif, died on Tuesday in London after a long battle with cancer. She was 68. Her body will be brought back to Lahore and buried in Jati Umra residence of the Sharif family.
Sharif and two others were transported to Jati Umra in a special plane from Nur Khan Airbase, Rawalpindi, in early hours of Wednesday after the Punjab government’s home department issued their release order for a 12-hour parole. The trio arrived at Lahore at 3.15 am on Wednesday.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz spokesperson Maryam Aurangzeb told PTI that Shahbaz Sharif had filed an application with the Punjab government requesting to release his elder brother Nawaz, niece Maryam and Safdar for five days on parole so that they could attend the last rituals of Begum Kulsoom Nawaz.
She said the Punjab government did not entertain Shahbaz’s request for five days and only granted their release for 12 hours.
Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his wife Kulsoom Nawaz were named in the Panama Papers release last year.
“We are hopeful that the government will extend the parole till the funeral of Begum Kulsoom to be held on Friday in Lahore,” Ms. Aurangzeb said, adding Mr. Shahbaz Sharif will leave for London on Wednesday to bring Kulsoom’s body back.
A senior official of the Punjab government also confirmed to PTI that the parole period would be extended till the last rituals of Kulsoom are performed in Lahore.
“Since Kulsoom’ body is scheduled to arrive here on Friday there is no point of not extending the parole period. The government has allowed Mr Sharif to attend the funeral prayer of his wife purely on humanitarian grounds,” the official said.
Earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan had ordered to facilitate the Sharif family regarding bringing back the body of Kulsoom and matters related to their parole.
Heavy contingent of police has been deployed at the Jati Umra to provide security to the Sharif family.
To a question whether her sons -- Hasan and Hussain -- would return to Lahore to attend her funeral prayer, Ms. Aurangazeb said: “No decision has been taken as yet.”
It is likely that both sons may not return to Pakistan as they have been declared absconders by an accountability court in the off-shore properties case.
Kulsoom Nawaz (left), wife of Pakistan’s former PM Nawaz Sharif, and their daughter Maryam Nawaz attend an election campaign meeting in Lahore on May 4, 2013.
Kulsoom, who had been battling with lymphoma (throat cancer) for over a year, breathed her last at the London’s Harley Street Clinic. She had been in London since August last year, where she underwent multiple surgeries and at least five chemotherapy sessions.
Kulsoom was the president of the PML-N from 1999 to 2002, after her husband’s government was toppled by former military dictator Gen. Pervez Musharraf in a bloodless coup. She was also placed under house arrest following Sharif’s ouster by Mr. Musharraf in 1999.
She led defiant, lonely protests against the Musharraf regime to get her husband freed from prison.
Kulsoom was elected to Lahore’s NA-120 constituency in a bypoll after her husband was disqualified from the seat by the Supreme Court last year. Due to her illness, she was unable to return and formally take oath for the seat.
She was born in 1950 in Lahore to a Kashmiri family. She graduated from the Forman Christian College in Lahore and received a Master’s degree in Urdu from Punjab University in 1970.
From her maternal side, she was granddaughter of famous wrestler of the sub-continent Gama Pehlwan.
Kulsoom married Sharif in April 1971 and they have four children - Hassan, Hussain, Maryam and Asma.
