By Muhammad Luqman
Kulsoom Nawaz, the wife of former Prime Minister, Muhammad Nawaz Sharif died at a hospital in London on Tuesday due to throat cancer. She was 68.
Her husband Nawaz Sharif is currently serving a10-year term in a jail of Rawalpindi, the twin city of the capital, Islamabad. Daughter Maryam and son-in-law Capt (rtd) Safdar are also imprisoned in a graft case.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has expressed sorrow over the demise of Begum Kulsoom Nawaz and announced to facilitate the Sharif family including former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter in attending the funerals in line with country’s law.
Former first lady possessed a doctorate degree in literature and was known for her writing skills.
Kulsoom married Nawaz Sharif in 1970 and had the honor of becoming Pakistan’s first lady thrice i.e. in 1990, 1997 and 2013.
In 1999, when Nawaz Sharif was deposed by General Pervez Musharraf, she stepped into the arena of politics and assumed the office of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz)’s President. When her husband was declared disqualified by country’s apex court to hold any public office on July 28, 2017, she contested the elections on the vacated national assembly seat in eastern city of Lahore and won the elections by defeating PTI candidate in September last year. She could not take oath of National Assembly member due to diagnosis of lymphoma disease in August. She remained under treatment in the British capital for about one year before breathing last on Tuesday. She is survived by two sons and two daughters.
