Nawaz asks Maryam for Kulsoom's photographs during prison meet

I asked him if he needed anything from home and he said yes, Kulsoom’s photos: Maryam Nawaz

The Sharif family has had an eventful year. Disqualification, barred from holding public office and losing to PTI in elections has jolted the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). The party supremo, Nawaz Sharif, also had to bear the loss of his wife Kulsoom.

On Thursday, the former premier met his family members and PML-N leaders at Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail.

The meeting was followed by an emotional tweet by daughter Maryam Nawaz, who said the deposed premier had asked for his late wife's photographs when asked if he needed anything from home.

"I went to see MNS at Kotlakhpat jail today. He was Masha’Allah in high spirits," she said. "I asked him if he needed anything from home & he said, ‘yes, Kalsoom’s photos’."

I went to see MNS at Kotlakhpat jail today. He was Masha’Allah in high spirits. I asked him if he needed anything from home & he said, ‘yes, Kalsoom’s photos’.

— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) December 27, 2018

It has been three and a half months since the former first lady passed away after battling cancer for a year in a hospital in London. At the time, Nawaz and Maryam were incarcerated at Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail in light of accountability court judgment convicting them in Avenfield corruption reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).



They were later released on bail to attend the funeral at Jati Umra.

The father-daughter duo was released after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) suspended the accountability court sentence after finding it lacked conviction.

The relief was shortlived for Nawaz as a single-judge bench of an accountability court found him guilty of corruption in Al-Aziziza corruption reference and sentenced him to seven years imprisonment.

Upon Nawaz's request, Judge Arshad Malik allowed the PML-N supremo to complete the term at Lahore's Kot Lakhpat Jail.

Kulsoom Nawaz

Kulsoom was born on March 29, 1950. She married to three-time PM Nawaz Sharif on April 2, 1971. The couple had four children — two sons and two daughters. She was the granddaughter of famous wrestler Ghulam Muhammad Bakhsh, commonly known as ‘Gama Pehlwan.’

A housewife, Kulsoom rose to prominence when her husband was put behind the bars in a military coup led by General (retd) Pervez Musharraf on October 12, 1999.

Kulsoom, along with a handful of PML-N party workers and family members, actively faced cases against her husband. She played an active role in keeping her husband’s political party united and led protests against Nawaz’s detention till the Sharif family was sent to Saudi Arabia following a reported deal with Musharraf.

Kulsoom was regarded as a motherly figure in the PML-N and was widely respected by the party’s rank and file.