LONDON – Former prime minister and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif on Sunday talked about the trials and problems he and his family faced after the death of his wife Kulsoom Nawaz.
Nawaz was flanked by PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz — who travelled to London after a three-year hiatus as she finally got her passport earlier this week on a court order.
Talking to media persons, Nawaz began his interview speaking about how Maryam met her brothers and him after the death of her mother three years ago.
“I remember all those scenes on how my wife was on her deathbed and how cruelly we were treated — and those people who were making fun [of us],” he said.
قائد مسلم لیگ ن محمد نواز شریف کی مریم نواز کے ہمراہ میڈیا سے اہم گفتگو https://t.co/hBOCXlyHxC
— PMLN (@pmln_org) October 9, 2022
The PML-N supremo said that despite his wife’s deteriorating health, the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) judge announced his verdict — sentencing him to 10 years in jail and Maryam seven.
“Following the verdict, I urged Maryam that we should now go to Pakistan. Maryam told me that her mother’s condition is deteriorating. But in response, I told her that there are some national responsibilities that we have to attend to,” he said.
Returning to Kulsoom, who passed away in his absence in the UK, he said: “We were trying to wake her up, you must have seen the videos. We then bid her farewell and went to Pakistan.
“What they did to us as soon as we landed is before you. Today, Maryam came after winning her case and proved the case and punishment were false.”
“Can’t I also ask that when Maryam came to meet me in Kot Lakhpat Jail, the jail authorities informed us that NAB had come and wanted to arrest her,” he said.
Nawaz then said he wanted to tell Imran Khan that such things happened in his rule “which never happened in any other time”.
The PML-N supremo said once, when he was presented before the court of judge Arshad Malik, he was informed that his wife — Kulsoom Nawaz’s — health was once again deteriorating.
“I approached the jail superintendent and begged him to allow me to speak to my wife. After that, they took me to my cell and within three hours, they came to me and informed me that my wife had passed away,” he said.
“Can you imagine what I must have gone through? The same people who refused to allow me to speak to my wife informed me about her death. However, I prohibited them from informing Maryam and asked them to allow me to inform her,” he said.
He lamented that everyone knew his wife was ill. “She died and we were given this news in jail. These are events that are never forgotten. This loss can never be repaired or forgotten.”
The three-time premier said: “I think politics have their own place and there should never be cruelty on a person.”
