- Former PM Nawaz Sharif’s wife laid to rest at Jati Umra graveyard
- Govt extends parole granted to Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz, son-in-law Capt (r) Safdar until Sept 17
LAHORE: The funeral prayers of Begum Kulsoom Nawaz, the wife of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, were offered on Friday before she was laid to rest at the family’s graveyard in Jati Umra.
Thousands of people were present to offer the funeral prayers held at Sharif Medical City in Lahore’s Jati Umra neighbourhood during Friday afternoon.
Begum Kulsoom was laid to rest in Jati Umra graveyard next to the resting place of her father-in-law Mian Sharif and brother-in-law Abbas Sharif.
The body was transferred to the venue for the prayers via an ambulance. The funeral prayers, led by Maulana Tariq Jameel, were offered at Sharif Medical City in Raiwind, and attended by Sharif family members, excluding Begum Kulsoom’s sons Hassan and Hussain Nawaz.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, including Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar and NA Speaker Asad Qaiser, attended the funeral prayers. Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leaders Khursheed Shah, Qamar Zaman Kaira were also in attendance. MQM-P leader and federal minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, MQM-P leader Farooq Sattar and PkMAP chief Mehmood Khan Azhakzai, Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and PML-Q leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain were also present.
Congregational prayers (Rasm-i-Qul) for Begum Kulsoom will be offered on Sunday between Asr and Maghreb.
Earlier in the day, the body of Begum Kulsoom was shifted to Jati Umra on Friday morning, almost half an hour after a flight carrying it from London landed at Allama Iqbal International Airport.
Begum Kulsoom’s casket was flown to Lahore on PIA flight (PK-758), which departed from Heathrow Airport on Thursday evening.
The body was transferred to an ambulance directly from the airplane and taken to Sharif Medical City.
Nawaz, his daughter Maryam and son-in-law Captain (r) Mohammad Safdar who have been released on parole were also taken to Sharif Medical City to pay their regards.
Shehbaz Sharif, the deceased’s brother-in-law and president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), along with Begum Kulsoom’s daughter Asma, grandson Zayd Hussain Sharif (Hussain Nawaz’s son), and 11 other family members accompanied the body.
LONDON FUNERAL:
Earlier, a large number of people, including Shehbaz Sharif, ex-finance minister Ishaq Dar and other members of the Sharif family attended the funeral of Begum Kulsoom Nawaz—at London’s Regent Park mosque on Thursday
The funeral in London, which is separate from another set to take place in Lahore on Friday, was arranged since the deceased PML-N leader’s sons Hasan and Hussain cannot travel to Pakistan. Their sister Asma also attended the funeral in London. Hassan and Hussain were declared absconders by an accountability court hearing corruption references filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in lieu of Supreme Court’s verdict in the Panama Papers case.
Kulsoom Nawaz died at a hospital this week after remaining in critical condition for months.
Sharif’s supporters are gathering outside his home to attend the funeral of 68-year-old Nawaz, who underwent surgery for throat cancer last year.
NAWAZ, MARYAM AND CAPT SAFDAR’S PAROLE EXTENDED:
Meanwhile, Punjab government late Thursday decided to extend the parole granted to Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and Captain (r) Muhammad Safdar till Monday (September 17) 4pm.
The Punjab Home Department issued a notification on Thursday night regarding the extension in the parole of the three.
On Wednesday, the government had decided to extend the parole of Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and Safdar till Sunday to participate in Begum Kulsoom Nawaz’s funeral.
Earlier, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry had said that the former prime minister and his daughter would be freed for 12 hours on the day of the funeral and burial