Kulsoom Nawaz, the wife of Pakistan's ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, passed away after a battle with cancer, according to a family member. Her husband and daughter are currently jailed in Pakistan on corruption charges.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Khan
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Following a year-long battle with cancer and several months in a coma, Kulsoom Nawaz passed away on Tuesday at a clinic in London.
The 68-year-old was the wife of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, whose brother announced the death.
"The wife of Mian Nawaz Sharif is no more among us. May God rest her in peace," Shehbaz Sharif wrote on Twitter.
Sharif's political secretary, Asif Kirmani, also confirmed that Kulsoom Nawaz "has passed away."
The former prime minister and his daughter, Maryam Nawaz, were not with her when she died, as they are currently in jail in Pakistan. Sharif is currently appealing a 10-year prison sentence he was given after being convicted of corruption. His daughter is also appealing a seven-year sentence.
The two left Kulsoom Nawaz's bedside in London to face corruption-related charges in Pakistan. They returned shortly before the country's July 25 elections, which Sharif's party's lost to the country's current Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Khan issued a statement offering his condolences to the family and ordering the Pakistani High Commission in London to "provide the family all the necessary facilities and cooperation."
From cricket icon, to hedonistic playboy, and finally the leader of Pakistan — Imran Khan has enjoyed a long career in the public eye. DW looks at Imran Khan's sporting successes and political ascent.
Image: Reuters/M. Raza
Affluent upbringing
Imran Khan was born in Lahore in 1952, the son of a civil engineer. Khan grew up with his four sisters in a relatively affluent part of the city. He received a privileged education, first in his hometown and then in Worcester, England. It was there that Khan's love and talent for the game of cricket became evident. In 1972, he enrolled at Oxford University to study politics and economics.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/B.K. Bangash
Pakistan cricket's blue-eyed boy
Khan played cricket throughout his time in England and after returning to his native Pakistan in 1976, he quickly became a regular in the national team. By 1982, he was awarded the captain's armband. Khan enjoyed an illustrious career and was regarded by many as one of the best all-rounders in the world.
Image: Getty Images
World champion
The ultimate high point of Khan's sporting career saw him captain Pakistan to the 1992 Cricket World Cup in Melbourne, Australia. As if his popularity couldn't get any bigger back home, Khan even took the winning wicket in the final against England.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/S. Dupont
From playboy to (thrice) married man
Khan enjoyed hedonistic bachelor life and was a regular fixture on London's nightlife scene. However, in 1995, at age 42, he finally tied the knot to 21-year-old Jemima Goldsmith. During their nine-year marriage, the famous couple provided plenty of fodder for the British and Pakistani tabloids. Despite separating in 2004, Goldsmith has remained a vocal supporter of Khan's politics.
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Khan enters politics
Khan wasted little time after retiring from cricket in 1994. Just two years later he entered Pakistani politics and founded the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. However, his popularity was slow to carry over from cricket into politics. In the 1997 general elections, his PTI party failed to win a single seat.
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Political activist
Khan remained active in politics over the next decades. In 1999, he supported General Pervez Musharraf's military coup, only to later turn against Musharraf ahead of the 2007 presidential election. Khan was subsequently placed under house arrest and even spent a few days in prison. However, his supporter base continued to grow, and by 2013 he became a key candidate in the general elections.
Image: AP
2013: Khan's political breakthrough
The PTI made substantial gains in the 2013 election, claiming 30 parliamentary seats and finishing second behind the Pakistan Muslim League. The party became the main opposition in the key provinces of Punjab and Sindh. However, its greatest feat was winning its first province in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/A. Arab
"Taliban Khan"
Khan has often been the butt of jokes for his pacifist stance towards terrorism in the region. He earned the moniker "Taliban Khan" for claiming that the only way to achieve peace with the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan was through negotiation. Khan was also a vocal critic of US drones strikes on Pakistan and has promised to disengage Pakistan from America's conflicts in the Middle East.
Image: Getty Images
Two more marriages
Since his divorce from Goldsmith in 2004, Khan has remarried twice. In January 2015, Khan announced his marriage to British-Pakistani journalist Reham Khanm although just 10 months later the couple said they were filing for divorce. In February 2018, Khan married his third wife, Bushra Manika (pictured front row, second from the left), whom he describes as his spiritual adviser.
Image: PIT
Making waves in 2018
By 2018, Khan's PTI were among the favorites going into the general election. Campaigning on a populist platform, Khan pledged to break away from Pakistan's corrupt legacy. His plans include a poverty reduction program similar to that seen in China. This would see the establishment of an "Islamic welfare state," the creation of 10 million jobs and construction of 5 million homes for the poor.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary
Prime Minister Imran Khan
Khan completed his journey from all-star cricketer to political leader on July 26, 2018. With most votes counted, the PTI is expected win up to 119 seats in Pakistan's 272-seat parliament. "I started this struggle 22 years ago and today I have been given a chance to fulfill what I dreamed for the country," Khan said in a televised speech. "We will run Pakistan like it's never been run before."
