Funeral held for Begum Kulsoom Nawaz in London mosque

LONDON: Funeral prayers for Begum Kulsoom Nawaz, the wife of former premier Nawaz Sharif, have been offered at Regent’s Park Islamic Centre in central London.

Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Nawaz, PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif, Ishaq Dar,  disgruntled PML-N leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali, scores of PML-N supporters and overseas Pakistanis attended the funeral prayers.

The coffin of the former first lady will be flown to Lahore's Jati Umrah, where she will be laid to rest next to her father-in-law Mian Sharif. 

A second funeral will be held on Friday . Large numbers of people are expected to join the final rites of Nawaz Sharif's wife.  

Earlier, Shehbaz Sharif arrived in London to bring back Begum Kulsoom Nawaz’s body to homeland.

Heartbreaking moment was witnessed upon Shehbaz's arrival at Nawaz's residence in London as Hussain Nawaz, the elder son of former prime minister , broke down in tears and hugged his uncle Shehbaz Sharif to mourn the death of his mother.

Sharif had departed for London via a foreign airline from the Allama Iqbal International Airport early on Wednesday to bring back the body of his sister-in-law.

Earlier, talking to media at the Heathrow Airport, Shehbaz said that Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz are in great pain over the sad demise of former first lady, adding; "May Allah give courage to the bereaved family to bear the loss.

To a question, Shehbaz said that he submitted the parole request on behalf of Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz as they had refused to file request for their release on parole to attend the funeral prayers of Begum Kulsoom Nawaz.

It is learnt that PIA flight carrying the body of Kulsoom Nawaz will leave for Lahore from the Heathrow Airport, London on Thursday and land at the Allama Iqbal International Airport early on Friday.

The Sharif family has reportedly refused to get any assistance from the Pakistan High Commission in London for the repatriation of the body of former first lady Kulsoom Nawaz to Pakistan.

Kulsoom, 68, wife of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, breathed her last on Tuesday at London’s Harley Street Clinic after a prolonged illness, where She remained under treatment since June 2017, and was placed on life support last night after her health deteriorated.