Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz have left for London from Lahore airport and are expected to return back after Eid-ul-Fitr.
The father and daughter will reach London via Doha. They will spend Eid-ul-Fitr with Nawaz's ailing wife, Kulsoom Nawaz, and return next week. While speaking to the media, Maryam confirmed that she and her father will return next week, adding that she is quite eager to meet her mother.
“I request the nation to pray for my mother’s good health,” she added. On June 7, Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam had sought five-day exemption from appearance before accountability in the three references against the Sharif family.
Former prime minister Nawaz and his family members are facing three corruption references in the accountability court — Avenfield Properties, Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investments — in which they are accused of money laundering, tax evasion and hiding offshore assets.
Nawaz and Maryam filed petitions seeking exemption from June 11 to June 15. The petition stated that both of them want to travel to London to meet the ailing wife of Nawaz, Begum Kulsoom Nawaz. The new medical report of Kulsoom Nawaz was also attached with the petition.
On Sunday, Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar allowed the former premier along with his daughter to visit his ailing wife Begum Kulsoom Nawaz in London. On May 25, sources informed that the health of Begum Kulsoom has improved following medical treatment for throat cancer in London.
Begum Nawaz underwent surgery in 2017 to remove diseased lymph nodes after she was diagnosed with throat cancer. According to sources, wife of the former premier is still weak due to prolonged medical treatments but has shown signs of improvement.
She is regularly taken to the Harley Street clinic for checkups, treatment, and follow-ups. In April, medical tests indicated had said Begum Nawaz’s health had been worsening after her throat cancer began to spread to the rest of her body.
She underwent a surgery wherein doctors removed the cancerous tumours in her throat. However, six chemotherapy sessions later, her cancer had returned and was spreading to the rest of her body, sources familiar with the matter said.
Begum Kulsoom was re-hospitalised a few days ago after she vomited excessively and complained of dehydration. Upon further diagnosis, her doctors suggested that she undergo radiotherapy and stay in the hospital longer.
