Nawaz, Maryam head to London ahead of Eid ul Fitr

ISLAMABAD - Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter, Maryam Nawaz, flew off to London on Thursday to celebrate Eid ul Fitr with ailing Kulsoom Nawaz.

Maryam confirmed her London tour as she tweeted that they would be returning home next week.

https://twitter.com/MaryamNSharif/status/1007114463986769921

Former premier Nawaz Sharif and Maryam were to appear before the accountability court Judge Muhammad Bashir in the Avenfield Reference today.

Maryam Nawaz had alluded to her London tour a  day earlier as she appeared before the Returning Officer.

'I have a flight at 9:00 am and will not be able to appear before you tomorrow,' Maryam told RO on Wednesday when she appeared for scrutiny of her nomination papers.

Upon this, the returning officer told the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) de-facto leader that her counsel should represent her tomorrow.

According to sources, the PML-N leader will fly to British capital city along with her father tomorrow for which tickets have already been purchased.

Sharif's tour comes days after the Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar allowed the former premier along with his daughter, Maryam, to visit ailing wife Begum Kulsoom Nawaz in London.

Maryam Nawaz was scrutinised by returning officers today over her nomination papers for the upcoming general election for PS-173 and NA-127 in Lahore's civil court.

During the scrutiny process, the returning officers asked Maryam Nawaz multiple questions to which her counsel expressed reservations.

Responding to a question, the PML-N leader responded, “Will decide whether to sit in the provincial or National Assembly when the time comes.”

The returning officer also asked Maryam how she would tackle the issue of water scarcity if elected.

To this, the former premier’s daughter, “The conservation of water is crucial and we should build dams.”

The PML-N leader was also asked about her point of view regarding Pakistan’s foreign policy with India and Afghanistan to which Maryam replied that the parliament and appointed leaders had the authority to draft foreign policy.

'As a citizen of Pakistan, I believe that we shouldn't have strained relations with our neighbouring countries,' Maryam insisted.

Responding to a question regarding her strategy against terrorists, Maryam replied that all political parties, Parliament and the entire nation were united against terrorists.

'Two operations, Zarb-e-Azb and Radd-ul-Fasaad, were conducted against terrorists,' Maryam insisted.

Maryam Nawaz shared that there were no good or bad terrorists now adding that earlier the nation was divided on this.