LONDON: A flight carrying the body of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s wife, Begum Kulsoom, will depart for Pakistan tonight.
The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight is scheduled to depart from Heathrow Airport for Lahore at 11pm.
Nawaz’s younger brother and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif reached London last night to bring back Begum Kulsoom’s body to Lahore for burial at their Jati Umra residence on Friday.
Nawaz’s daughter Asma and two daughters of his son, Hussain Nawaz, along with other family members will bring back the body with Shehbaz.
The former premier’s sons, Hassan and Hussain, will not travel to Pakistan for their mother’s funeral.
Begum Kulsoom’s funeral prayers of will be offered at the Regent Park mosque on Thursday after Zuhr after which her body will be flown to Lahore.
Her body has been moved to a mortuary near the Regent Park mosque.
Upon reaching Pakistan, the funeral prayers of the former first lady will be offered on Friday at Sharif Medical City in Jati Umra, a spokesperson for PML-N said.
The funeral prayers will be offered at 5pm on Friday, PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said.
The Sharif family has said that the former premier’s wife will be laid to rest on Friday in Jati Umra.
The legal formalities have been completed and the family has received a death certificate issued by the Harley Street Clinic, where Begum Kulsoom died on Tuesday. They have also received the “out-of-England” letter has also been received from the coroner’s court, paving the way for the departure of her body for Lahore on Thursday evening.
Last night, when Shehbaz reached London, Nawaz’s son Hussain hugged him and broke down into tears.
Nawaz, Maryam and Safdar’s parole extended
The Punjab government extended parole of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter, Maryam, and son-in-law Captain (retd) Mohammad Safdar by four days, according to the Punjab Home Department.
The home department said the period of parole has been extended until 12 am on Monday.
Earlier, the former premier, his daughter and son-in-law were released from Adiala Jail on parole, hours after Nawaz’s ailing wife Begum Kulsoom passed away at a hospital in London on Tuesday.
Nawaz, Maryam and Capt (retd) Safdar were initially released on a 12-hour parole to attend Begum Kulsoom’s funeral.
