Ousted PM’s wife wins his seat
ISLAMABAD: The wife of ousted Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appears to have won the parliamentary seat vacated by her husband following his disqualification by the Supreme Court from holding public office.
Victory by Kulsoom Sharif, who is currently receiving medical treatment in London, was declared by her daughter in front of supporters at the head office of Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party in Lahore.
“Nawaz Sharif has won” against the court decision disqualifying him, Maryam Sharif said. The former leader is also in London.
Kulsoom Sharif, 67, won 59,413 votes against 44,928 for her main rival Yasmeen Rashid of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, according to unofficial results.
Ms Sharif is currently recuperating in a London hospital after undergoing surgery.
Her husband told media that doctors have recommended additional surgery for her.
In her election speeches, Maryam Sharif claimed that her father was ousted as prime minister through a conspiracy by forces within Pakistan, including what she alleged was the military’s loathing of strong civilian government.
“You have frustrated the ongoing conspiracies against the people. You have fought the invisible forces. Now people would reign supreme,” she said.
The campaign of Kulsoom Sharif’s main rival, Ms Rashid, focused on the message that the judiciary found Nawaz Sharif unfit to hold public office because he is “dishonest”.
Mr Sharif was forced to resign on July 28 after the Supreme Court disqualified him from holding public office for being corrupt and dishonest about his wealthy family’s overseas assets as revealed by the leaked Panama Papers.
Political pundits described Maryam Sharif’s role in her mother’s election campaign as the launch of her political career as heir apparent of her father.
She left Pakistan for London early yesterday morning to see her ailing mother, party officials said. Her departure means Mr Sharif’s entire family is now outside the country.
Nawaz Sharif, his two sons Hassan and Hussain, daughter Maryam, and son-inlaw Muhammad Safdar have been given notice to appear before an anti-graft court in Islamabad today on corruption charges.