Maryam and Nawaz leave for London, to return to Pakistan after Eid-ul-Fitr

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GEO NEWS
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Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz have left for London from Lahore airport, Geo News reported Thursday morning. Photo: file

LAHORE: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz left for London from Lahore airport on Thursday.

The father and daughter will reach London via Doha. They will spend Eid-ul-Fitr with Nawaz's ailing wife, Begum Kulsoom, and return to Pakistan next week.

While speaking to the media before departure to London, Maryam confirmed that she and Nawaz will return to the country next week.

“I request the nation to pray for my mother’s good health,” she added, adding that she was eager to meet her mother. 

On June 7, Nawaz and Maryam had sought a five-day exemption from appearance before accountability in the corruption references against the Sharif family.

The former prime minister and his family members are facing three corruption references in the accountability court — Avenfield Properties, Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investments — in which they are accused of money laundering, tax evasion and hiding offshore assets.

Nawaz and Maryam filed petitions seeking exemption from June 11 to June 15. The petition stated that both of them want to travel to London to meet the ailing wife of Nawaz, Begum Kulsoom Nawaz. The new medical report of Kulsoom Nawaz was also attached with the petition. 

On Sunday, Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar had allowed Nawaz along with his daughter to visit his ailing wife Begum Kulsoom Nawaz in London. 

Kulsoom Nawaz's health improves

On May 25, sources informed Geo News that the health of Begum Nawaz had improved following medical treatment for throat cancer in London.

She underwent surgery in 2017 to remove diseased lymph nodes after she was diagnosed with throat cancer.

Begum Nawaz underwent a surgery wherein doctors removed the cancerous tumours in her throat. However, six chemotherapy sessions later, her cancer returned and spread to the rest of her body, said sources familiar with the matter.

According to latest reports, wife of the former premier is still weak due to prolonged medical treatments but has shown signs of improvement.

She is regularly taken to the Harley Street clinic for checkups, treatment, and follow-ups, sources told Geo News