Jailed Former Pak PM Nawaz Sharif's Wife Dies In London Hospital

Agencies
September 12, 2018

London, Sept 12: Begum Kulsoom, the wife of Pakistan's jailed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, died today in London after a long battle with cancer, her family said.

Begum Kulsoom, who was under treatment at London's Harley Street Clinic since June 2014, was placed on life support earlier Tuesday after her health deteriorated, Geo TV reported.

The health of the 68-year-old began deteriorating on Monday night as she had developed a lung problem again, the channel said.

Nawaz Sharif's brother and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz president Shehbaz Sharif confirmed her death in a tweet. "My sister-in-law and the wife of Nawaz Sharif sahib is no more amongst us. May God bless her soul," he tweeted in Urdu.

Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam and son-in-law Captain (retd) Muhammad Safdar are currently serving jail terms in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi after being convicted by an accountability court in a corruption case in July.

Citing sources, the channel said Nawaz Sharif, Maryam, and Muhammad Safdar have been informed about Begum Kulsoom's death.

According to sources, the Sharif family has decided to bring back Begum Kulsoom's body to Pakistan, it said. "She will be laid to rest in Pakistan," the family confirmed.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has condoled the death of Ms Kulsoom. In a statement, the prime minister said all facilities will be provided to the family and heirs of Begum Kulsoom as per law.

The prime minister has directed the Pakistan High Commission in London to assist in provision of all necessary facilities to Begum Kulsoom's family, the statement said.

Army Chief Gen. Qamar Jawed Bajwa also expressed grief over Ms Kulsoom's death and extended condolences to her family.

"COAS expresses his grief and heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family on sad demise of Begum Kulsoom Nawaz," the army spokesperson tweeted.

Ms Kulsoom was diagnosed with lymphoma (throat) cancer in August last and had been in London since, where she underwent multiple surgeries and at least five chemotherapy sessions.

She was placed on a ventilator in June following a cardiac arrest. Her family reported a slight improvement in her condition on July 12, a day before her husband Nawaz Sharif and Maryam were set to return to Pakistan after the accountability court sentenced them to jail.

She served as the first lady of Pakistan for three non-consecutive terms from 1990-1993, 1997-1999 and 2013-2017.

She also served as the president of the PML-N from 1999 to 2002, after her husband's government was toppled by former military dictator Pervez Musharraf in a bloodless coup. She was also placed under house arrest following Sharif's ouster by Musharraf in 1999.

Ms Kulsoom was elected to Lahore's NA-120 constituency in a by-poll after her husband was disqualified from the seat by the Supreme Court last year. Due to her illness, she was unable to return and formally take oath for the seat.

She was born in 1950 in Lahore to a Kashmiri family. She graduated from the Forman Christian College in Lahore and received a Master's degree in Urdu from Punjab University in 1970.

From her maternal side, she was granddaughter of famous wrestler of the sub-continent Gama Pehlwan.

Ms Kulsoom married Nawaz Sharif in April 1971. She is survived by her husband and four children - Hassan, Hussain, Maryam and Asma.

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News Network
February 3,2026

manjeshwar.jpg

Kasaragod: An 18-year-old girl was stabbed to death at Thuminad in Manjeshwar panchayat on Monday, allegedly by her father following a domestic dispute. 

The victim has been identified as K U Mariyamath Jumaila. Her father, Umar Farooq, has been taken into police custody, Manjeshwar Station House Officer Inspector Ajith Kumar P said.

According to the police, Umar Farooq had been working in a West Asian country and returned home about three months ago. 

Family tensions reportedly escalated after his wife, Thahira (41), decided to seek a divorce and asked him to leave her life. Kasaragod district panchayat member Harshad Vorkady alleged that Umer was addicted to marijuana and frequently caused disturbances at home.

On Monday, Thahira asked Umar to come to her sister’s house in Thuminad to discuss the dispute. Jumaila accompanied her mother. 

Manjeshwar panchayat member Illiyas Thuminad said Umar arrived along with his brother, following which Thahira handed over gold ornaments and property documents to him and asked him to sever ties with her.

However, the police said a property dispute had been ongoing between Umar Farooq and his sister-in-law’s husband. During a heated argument, Umar allegedly attempted to attack the man with a sharp weapon. When Jumaila intervened to stop the assault, she was stabbed in the neck.

The teenager collapsed after bleeding profusely and was rushed to a private hospital in Mangaluru, where doctors declared her dead. Her body was later shifted to Mangalpady Taluk Hospital for post-mortem examination.

Jumaila was a former student of Sirajul Huda English Medium Higher Secondary School, Manjeshwar. 

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News Network
February 1,2026

Bengaluru, Feb 1: For travelers landing at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), the sleek, wood-paneled curves of Terminal 2 promise a world-class welcome. But the famed “Garden City” charm quickly withers at the curb. As India’s aviation sector swells to record numbers—handling over 43 million passengers in Bengaluru alone this past year—the “last mile” has turned into a marathon of frustration.

The Bengaluru Logjam: Rules vs Reality

While the city awaits the 2027 completion of the Namma Metro Blue Line, the interim has been chaotic. Recent “decongestion” rules at Terminal 1 have pushed app-based cab pickups to distant parking zones, forcing weary passengers into a 20-minute walk with luggage.

“I landed after ten months away and felt like a stranger in my own city,” says Ruchitha Jain, a Koramangala resident. “My driver couldn’t find me, staff couldn’t guide me, and the so-called ‘Premium’ lane is just a fancy tax on convenience.”

•    The Cost of Distance: A 40-km cab ride can now easily cross ₹1,500, driven by demand pricing and airport surcharges.

•    The Bus Gap: While Vayu Vajra remains a lifeline, its ₹300–₹400 fare is often cited as the most expensive airport bus service in the country.

A National Pattern of Disconnect

The struggle is not unique to Karnataka. From Chennai’s coast to Hyderabad’s plateau, India’s airports tell a familiar story: brilliant runways, broken exits.

City:    Primary Issue   |    Recent Development

Bengaluru:    Cab pickup restrictions & distance  |    App-based taxis shifted to far parking zones; long walks and fare spikes reported

Chennai:    Multi-Level Parking (MLCP) hike  |    Passengers report 40-minute walks to reach cab pickup points

Hyderabad:    “Taxi mafia” & touting  |    Over 440 touting cases reported; security presence intensified

Mumbai:    Fare scams  |     Tourists charged ₹18,000 for just 400 metres, triggering police action

In Hyderabad, travelers continue to battle entrenched local groups that intimidate Uber and Ola drivers, pushing passengers toward overpriced private taxis. Chennai flyers, meanwhile, complain that reaching the designated pickup zones now takes longer than short-haul flights from cities like Coimbatore.

The ‘Budget Day’ Hope

As Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presents the Union Budget 2026 today, the aviation sector is watching closely. With the government’s renewed emphasis on multimodal integration, there is cautious hope for funding toward seamless airport-metro-bus hubs.

The vision is clear: a future where planes, trains, and metros speak the same language. Until then, passengers at KIA—and airports across India—will continue to discover that the hardest part of flying isn’t the thousands of kilometres in the air, but the last few on the ground.

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News Network
February 3,2026

Bengaluru: Following reports of fresh Nipah virus (NiV) cases in West Bengal and heightened vigilance across parts of Southeast Asia, the Karnataka Health Department has placed the state on high alert and activated emergency preparedness protocols.

Health officials said enhanced surveillance measures have been initiated after two healthcare workers in Barasat, West Bengal, tested positive for the virus earlier this month. While no cases have been reported in Karnataka so far, authorities said the state’s past exposure to Nipah outbreaks and high inter-state mobility warranted preventive action.

Officials have directed district health teams to intensify monitoring, particularly at hospitals and points of entry, and to ensure early detection and isolation of suspected cases.

High Mortality Virus with Multiple Transmission Routes

Nipah virus is a zoonotic disease that can spread from animals to humans and has a reported fatality rate ranging between 60 and 75 per cent. Fruit bats, also known as flying foxes, are the natural reservoirs of the virus and can transmit it by contaminating food sources with saliva or urine.

Known modes of transmission include:

•    Contaminated food: Consumption of fruits partially eaten by bats or raw date-palm sap
•    Animal contact: Exposure to infected pigs or other animals
•    Human-to-human transmission: Close contact with body fluids of infected persons, particularly in healthcare settings

Symptoms and Disease Progression

The incubation period typically ranges from 4 to 14 days, though delayed onset has also been reported. Early symptoms often resemble common viral infections, making prompt clinical suspicion critical.

•    Initial symptoms: Fever, headache, body aches, fatigue, sore throat
•    Progressive symptoms: Drowsiness, disorientation, altered mental state
•    Severe stage: Seizures, neck stiffness and acute encephalitis, which can rapidly progress to coma

Public Health Advisory

The Health Department has issued precautionary guidelines urging the public to adopt risk-avoidance practices to prevent any local spillover.

Do’s
•    Wash fruits thoroughly before consumption
•    Drink boiled and cooled water
•    Use protective equipment while handling livestock
•    Maintain strict hand hygiene

Don’ts
•    Avoid fruits found on the ground or showing bite marks
•    Do not consume beverages made from raw tree sap, including toddy
•    Avoid areas with dense bat populations
•    Do not handle sick or dead animals

Preparedness Measures

Officials confirmed that isolation wards are being readied in major government hospitals and that medical staff are being sensitised to identify early warning signs.

“There is no cause for panic, but there is a need for heightened vigilance,” a senior health official said, adding that there is currently no approved vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for Nipah, and care remains largely supportive.

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