Nawaz joins mother’s funeral prayers in London

LONDON/LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) supremo and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif offered funeral prayers of his mother, Begum Shamim Akhtar, here along with several family and party members on Friday.

The prayers were held in London Central Mosque — alternatively known as Regent’s Park Mosque — where the number of participants had to be limited to 30 under the United Kingdom’s coronavirus guidelines.

The prayers were offered at 11am BST. The former premier had arrived at the mosque in a convoy of cars with his family members and colleagues. Those who were allowed entry inside the mosque included Sharif’s son, Shahbaz Sharif’s family members, Ishaq Dar’s family, Nasir Janjua, Nasir Butt, former MPA Dr Ashraf Chohan, Dr Adnan Khan and two PML-N officials.

After the prayers, Begum Shamim’s body was taken to London Heathrow Airport for repatriation to Pakistan. Sharif and other family members accompanied the body to Heathrow from where it was flown to Pakistan on British Airways flight 259. The flight left for Pakistan later on Friday and was set to land at Lahore airport in the morning today.

Earlier, ex-finance minister Dar had announced that Sharif would not be able to accompany his mother’s body to Pakistan as he was not declared medically fit to travel by his doctors.

Funeral prayers of Begum Shamim Akhtar will also be offered at the Sharif Medical City in Jati Umrah on Saturday after which her body will be laid to rest.

News Desk adds: PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif and the Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Hamza Shahbaz, were released on parole from Kot Lakhpat Jail on Friday ahead of Sharif’s mother’s funeral in Pakistan.

The father and son were released for five days after a notification was issued by the Punjab government, allowing their parole from November 27 to December 1 to attend the funeral of Begum Shamim Akhtar, mother of Shahbaz Sharif and grandmother of Hamza Shahbaz, who died in London on November 22.