Nahid Iskander Mirza, the former first lady of Pakistan, passed away in London on Friday.
Foreign Office Spokesman Dr Muhammad Faisal said that the widow of former president Iskander Mirza had been ill for quite some time.
Nahid was reportedly Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) founder Zuflikar Ali Bhutto’s wife’s older cousin.
“Nusrat Bhutto was 15 years younger than Nahid Mirza,” according to a book titled, “From Plassey to Pakistan: The family history of Iskander Mirza,” written by Mirza’s son Humayun Mirza.
It is pertinent to mention here that Nahid was the second wife of Mirza. She was first married to a military attache at the Iranian embassy in Pakistan before marrying Mirza after his son died in a plane crash.
According to historians, Nahid played a pivotal role in ceding “Mirjaveh”, the crossing point between Iran and Pakistan during the presidency of Mirza. “She is the one who introduced Iskander Mirza and Ayub Khan to Bhutto.”
Mirza became the first president of the country in 1956.
Former president and Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) President Asif Ali Zardari expressed his profound sorrow and grief over the death of Naheed Iskandar Mirza.
Zardari, in a condolence message, expressed his sadness and distress with the bereaved family of Naheed Iskandar Mirza. He also prayed to God for grant of eternal peace to the departed soul and strength and fortitude to the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss with equanimity.