Mother of Nawaz, Shahbaz laid to rest at Jati Umra

LAHORE: The mother of Nawaz Sharif and leader of the opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif was laid to rest in Lahore on Saturday.

Begum Shamim Akhtar passed away on Nov 22, 2020 at the age of 89 in London. Her body was shifted to Lahore by a British Airlines flight BA-059 early Saturday.

Mian Shahbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shahbaz received the body at the airport. Both were released from jail on five-day parole on Friday to attend the funeral of Begum Shamim.

Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb and party leader Attaullah Tarar were also present at the Allama Iqbal International Airport.

Sources said that the family members had last glimpse of the deceased at Jati Umra, and later the body was shifted to the morgue at Sharif Medical City.

Strict security arrangements were made for the funeral and the main road leading to Jati Umra was cordoned off. Many PML-N workers complained that the police did not allow them to go to Sharif Medical City’s grounds to attend the Namaz-e-Janaza.

The Sharif Medical City ground was divided into three portions, one for family members, second for the VVIP and VIPs and the third for the party workers and ordinary citizens.

The body was brought in the ground in an ambulance at 2:13pm. Religious scholar Raghib Naeemi led the funeral prayers at around 2:21pm after which it was taken to the family graveyard in Jati Umra where she was laid to rest next to the grave of her husband, Mian Muhammad Sharif. Only family members participated in the burial, said Punjab PML-N President Rana Sanaullah.

Namaz-e-Janaza was attended by thousands of party workers, citizens and almost all top leadership of the PML-N, leaders of other political and religious parties.