Kulsoom Nawaz to be laid to rest on Friday

Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's wife Kulsoom Nawaz will be laid to rest here on Friday.

A flight carrying Kulsoom Nawaz's casket landed in Lahore from London in the morning. Her body was received by members of the Sharif family, including PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif's son Hamza Shahbaz, Dawn online reported.

Kulsoom Nawaz's body was later transported to the family's Jati Umra residence. Her funeral prayers will be held at the Sharif Medical City Ground in Lahore at 5 p.m. She will be laid to rest near the graves of her father-in-law Mian Sharif and brother-in-law Abbas Sharif.

Kulsoom Nawaz passed away on Tuesday after an over-a-year-long battle with throat cancer.

Shehbaz Sharif along with Begum Kulsoom's daughter Asma, grandson Zayd Hussain Sharif and 11 other family members accompanied the body to Lahore. Her sons -- Hassan and Hussain Nawaz -- did not return to the country from London for the funeral.

Security was tightened in the area and on routes leading to Jati Umra ahead of the funeral. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Peoples Party's delegations will attend the funeral prayers, Geo News reported.

Funeral prayers were offered for Begum Kulsoom at London's Regent Park mosque on Thursday where hundreds showed up to pay their respects. Among the attendees were Hassan and Hussain Nawaz, Shehbaz Sharif, PML-N leaders Chaudhry Nisar and Muhammad Ishaq Dar.

The three-time Premier, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Mohammad Safdar, currently serving prison terms on corruption charges, were granted parole by the Punjab government to attend Begum Kulsoom's funeral.

The government on Thursday night extended their parole till September 17, Geo reported.

--IANS

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