Lahore: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and former president Asif Ali Zardari called on former prime minister Nawaz Sharif at Jati Umra and offered their condolences on the sad demise of former first lady Begum Kulsoom Nawaz.
Zardari left for Jati Umrah from Lahore’s Bilawal House with a PPP delegation, including former Senate chairman Raza Rabbani, ex-prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Senator Sherry Rehman, Farhatullah Babar, Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, former Punjab governor Latif Khosa and Rehman Malik.
While lauding the democratic struggle of Kulsoom Nawaz, Zardari said that the deceased was undoubtedly a brave woman. “The whole country is talking about her struggle for democracy and the country, which will be remembered forever,” he said, adding: “We share the grief of the Sharif family.”
It is pertinent to mention here that it is first-ever visit of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to Sharif’s residence. Senior leadership of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), including party’s president Shehbaz Sharif, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Hamza Shehbaz, Rana Tanveer Hussain and Asif Kirmani were also present.
Earlier in the day, a delegation of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) also reached Jati Umra to condole with Nawaz Sharif. The delegation included PML-Q president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Monis Elahi, Rasikh Elahi and Salak Hussain.
Prominent among others who visited Nawaz Sharif on Sunday to offer their condolences included AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider, Pervaiz Rashid, Chaudhry Barjees Tahir, Shah Zain Bugti, Amir Muqam, Maryam Aurangzeb and Miftah Ismail.
Meanwhile, congregational prayers (Rasm-e-Qul) of Kulsoom Nawaz were offered at Jati Umra and the Sharif Medical Complex simultaneously. Only family members were in attendance at the residence of Nawaz Sharif as Shehbaz Sharif had requested party workers to offer prayers in their respective areas and party offices to avoid any inconvenience.
Lahore Mayor Capt (r) Mubashir Javed, PML-N Lahore president Malik Pervaiz, Khawaja Imran Nazir, Chaudhry Shehbaz, Ghazali Saleem Butt, MPAs, MNAs from Lahore participated in Rasm-e-Qul offered at Sharif Medical Complex. Moreover, a large number of women also participated in Rasm-e-Qul organised by PML-N woman wing president Nuzhat Sadiq at PML-N Lahore office near Nasirabad.
The parole period of Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and Safdar will expire today at 4pm.
Published in Daily Times, September 17th 2018.