Pakistan's ex-Premier Nawaz Sharif’s Father Passes Away
Pakistan Times Foreign Desk Report

JEDDAH (Saudi Arabia): Mian Muhammad Sharif, father of Pakistan's ex-Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif passed away here on Friday.

Mian Sharif, a highly respected politician and noted industrialist of Pakistan was in exile in Saudi Arabia along with his family after an agreement with Pakistan government in 2000.

The Death

Reports say that the father of the ex-Premier Mian Nawaz Sharif and Punjab's ex-Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif died of cardiac arrest at 9.00 pm (11 pm PST). He was 84.

Mian Mohammad Sharif had a heart-attack at around 8.30 pm, soon after Iftar. He was rushed to Doctor’s Hospital in Jeddah. He died after half an hour.

The family were present in the hospital when Mian Sharif died. He had a chronic heart problem. And had his first heart bypass in 1982. He went through angioplasty twice, and also had to be operated for the installation of pacemaker.

Late Mian Mohammad Sharif was a borderline sugar patient as well. His medical condition had not been all that well recently. His condition became serious in the last couple of weeks.

The Funeral

The Sharif family plans to bring his body back home on today, Saturday. He will either be laid to rest in Lahore or Jatti Umra, Raiwind.

The family plans to go by the will of late Mian Sharif vis-à-vis his burial. It is learnt that the Sharif family has approached the Saudi Royal family for facilitating the transit.

Family sources said, "We are in contact with the Saudi Government, and they will help us fulfil the desire of the departed soul."

However, it is not clear at the stage that who will accompany the body of Mian Sharif to Lahore. It is also not clear whether Nawaz Sharif or Shahbaz Sharif would be allowed to accompany the body. It is also not yet clear whether Sharif family has taken up the issue with the Pakistan government.

According to the PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif, the decision regarding his burial will be made according to the will of late Mian Sharif. However, much depends upon the response of the Pakistan government in this regard.

Shahbaz Sharif was in tears and the cries of the other family members were audible when he confirmed the report of the death of his father, a party spokesman informed.

Sketch

Late Mian Sharif was a renowned businessman and founded the Sharif Group of Industries in 1974 after the nationalisation of the Ittefaq Foundry on the orders of the then prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.

He opted for the vocation of an industrialist in 1940. On migration from Amritsar at the time of partition, he settled in Lahore where he started the iron business, initially on limited scale yet took it to the zeinths of great success in short span of time through his typical style of devotion and hard work.

President, PM Condole with Sharif family

President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz have expressed their condolences to the Sharif family on the demise of Mian Muhammad Sharif.

They prayed that Allah Almighty may grant eternal peace to the departed soul and fortitude to the bereaved family.

PML President Shujaat Hussain, Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi, MMA leader and JI Chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed and several PML-N leaders and workers also expressed sorrow over Mian Sharif’s death. ●