Islamabad: Pakistan’s former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Sharif have reportedly decided to delay their return to Pakistan for now due to worsening health condition of Sharif’s wife Kulsoom Sharif, who is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in London.
Begum Kulsoom has been in critical condition after she suffered a cardiac arrest late on Thursday (June 14) and was admitted to the ICU in London’s Harley Street Clinic and is on ventilator. She has reportedly not regained consciousness since suffering heart attack.
Sharif, along with his daughter Maryam, travelled to London on the same day after permission was granted by Supreme Court where he and his family are facing three corruption cases.
Talking to media persons outside the clinic in London, Sharif said that his wife’s condition was critical and doctors have kept her on life support. “She is still in intensive care and sedated,” he said.
Sharif’s son Hussain told media that the doctors are not able to provide much information to the family at this time. “Doctors cannot give a date as to when she will recover. However, they have said that once she [Kulsoom] show’s signs of recovery they will start removing life support one by one,” he said.
Doctors have informed the Sharif family that Kulsoom’s condition is still unstable and a time frame cannot be given at the time, according to political sources close to Sharif family.
Sharif and his daughter were expected to return to Pakistan on Monday but media reports suggest that the doctors in London have advised him to stay with his wife after assessing her health condition, Geo News reported.
The counsels for Sharif and Maryam are expected to submit Kulsoom’s medical report and the doctor’s letter with the exemption request from appearance request in the accountability court of Islamabad hearing corruption cases against them, according to Geo News.
Moreover, Sharif’s brother and Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif is also in London to see her sister-in-law. Shehbaz told the media that doctors are continually monitoring Begum Kulsoom, adding that Sharif and Maryam should remain in London for now.
Begum Kulsoom was diagnosed with lymphoma (throat) cancer in August 2017 and has since undergone several sessions of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. She showed signs of improvement initially but her condition has deteriorated lately.
Kulsoom Sharif was shifted to the ICU late Thursday after a cardiac arrest, where she is on ventilator since June 14.
On June 7, Sharif and Maryam had sought a five-day exemption from appearance before accountability in the corruption references against the Sharif family.
Sharif and his family are facing three corruption references — Avenfield Properties, Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investments — filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) following his ouster in July last year. The family is accused of money laundering, tax evasion and hiding offshore assets.
Sharif’s daughter Asma and two sons — Hassan and Hussain — have remained with her during her treatment in London, however Sharif and Maryam could only visit her couple of times because of court appearances.
