Scores of Pakistani political leaders paid rich tributes to Kulsoom Nawaz, the wife of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who passed away on Tuesday after a long battle with cancer.
Kulsoom was admitted to London's Harley Street Clinic for cancer treatment in June and her health deteriorated last night. She was placed on life support earlier in the day.
Her death was announced by Shehbaz Sharif, Kulsoom's brother-in-law and the president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and her son Hussain Nawaz, Geo News reported.
Pakistan Prime Minister and former cricketing star Imran Khan condoled Kulsoom's demise, calling her a "courageous woman".
He tweeted, "Sad to learn of Begum Kulsoom Nawaz's death. She was a courageous woman of great dignity and confronted her disease with fortitude. My condolences and prayers go to the Sharif family."
He added that all facilities would be provided to the Sharif family for ensuring a proper burial for the departed soul. "PM Imran Khan expresses deep sorrow over the sad demise of Begum Kulsoom Nawaz: all facilities will be provided to the family and heirs of Kulsoom Nawaz as per law," the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) tweeted.
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Separately, the party issued a statement on Kulsoom's demise, which read, "We are extremely saddened by the news of Begum Kulsoom Nawaz's passing away. We have massive respect for her, who stood like a rock in the face of a dictator when no one else around her did. May she rest in peace."
Newly sworn in Pakistan President Arif Alvi also expressed condolences to the Sharif family. "I express my sincere regrets on the sad demise of Begum Kulsoom Nawaz. My condolences to the Sharif family on this loss. May her soul rest in peace."
The PML-N paid rich tributes to Kulsoom and posted her picture, saying, "We all have come from God, and onto him, we will return one day."
Pakistan People's Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also condoled Kulsoom's demise and called her a "brave woman who fought for democracy during Musharraf regime."
In a statement, Bilawal said that he "offered condolence and expressed sympathies with the members of the bereaved family and prayed to God to rest the departed soul in eternal peace and grant courage and fortitude to the bereaved family members to bear this irreparable loss."
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaisar and Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri also expressed condolences to the departed soul and recalled Kulsoom's contributions to social and political services.
The US Embassy in Islamabad also condoled the former First Lady of Pakistan's demise. Charge d'affaires John Hoover tweeted, "On behalf of the U.S. Mission in Pakistan, we would like to express our condolences over the passing of the former First Lady of Pakistan Begum Kulsoom Nawaz."
The Harley Street Clinic said in a statement that her body would be shifted to a mortuary soon. Geo News quoted sources as saying that the Sharif family has decided to bring back Kulsoom's mortal remains to Pakistan. A family source said that the former first lady would be laid to rest in Lahore.
The former first lady of Pakistan was diagnosed with lymphoma (throat) cancer in August last year.