LAHORE: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday departed for London to visit his ailing wife Kulsoom Nawaz.
The newly re-elected PML-N chief left for London via Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK-757 from the Lahore International Airport.
This is Nawaz Sharif’s second visit to London after his wife was diagnosed with lymphoma by doctors.
Sharif had returned to Pakistan on September 25 to face three graft references filed against him by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in compliance with the Supreme Court’s July 28 orders in Panama Papers case.
On Oct 2, the court had deferred the framing of charges against him and set Oct 9 for his indictment. It had issued non-bailable warrants for the arrest of his children over their perpetual absence from the proceedings.
Following the passage of the Election Act 2017 on Oct 3, Nawaz Sharif was re-elected unopposed as the president of PML-N since no other party member submitted nomination papers for the slot of the president.
Currently, the former prime minister and members of his family are facing three graft references in connection with their flats in London, Al Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Company Ltd and other offshore companies.
On July 28, the apex court had disqualified former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and ordered the filing of references against him, his children and finance minister Ishaq Dar in light of the Panama joint investigation team report.
Published in Daily Times, October 6th 2017.
