Kulsoom Nawaz has blood cancer, doctors confirm

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LONDON: Begum Kulsoom Nawaz, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s wife, has contracted blood cancer and she has been referred to cancer specialists.

Geo News had reported on Tuesday that Begum Kulsoom Nawaz has been diagnosed with throat cancer but a medical source, aware about Brgum Kulsoom Nawaz’s health situation, has informed this scribe that she has contracted “a kind of blood cancer”.

The source said that her treatment includes chemotherapy. He said that further tests and investigation is to be carried out “for devising the treatment, its intensity and frequency of the chemo”.

The News has learnt that Begum Kulsoom Nawaz has been referred by her doctors to cancer specialists for onward treatment.

When asked about the nature of the cancer, the source informed that doctors have told Begum Kulsoom Nawaz that her “initial tests” suggest that her cancer is curable.

But the medical source told this reporter that a lot will depend on “how well Begum Kusloom Nawaz reacts to chemotherapy”.

He added: “It will be determined after her first chemo.”

Its understood that cancer counselors will meet Begum Kulsoom Nawaz later today to brief her about the nature of her illness, their treatment plan and what will it involve. It has been reliably learnt that her treatment will start early next week at a clinic situated in the neighbourhood of Hasan Nawaz Sharif’s residence near Park Lane.

She was in high spirits during meetings with the doctors and after learning that she is suffering from an early stage of cancer.

Begum Kulsoom Nawaz left for London unexpectedly on August 17 for a medical checkup – on the day when her nomination papers for NA120 were accepted amid political hype.

Her departure made headlines because she left ahead of her scheduled appearance before the Election Commission of Pakistan, where her nomination papers were to be scrutinised for the upcoming NA-120 by-poll.

The NA120 seat fell vacant after former PM Nawaz Sharif was disqualified by the Supreme Court in the Panamagate case on July 28 in relation to an Iqama and the allegation by the court that he concealed his salary from a Dubai-based company, which he claims he had never received and for which there is no evidence.

PML-N has said that election campaign in NA-120 will go ahead regardless as local teams are working at all levels. PML-N says that the local election campaigning team is involved in door to door campaigning and where needed Maryam Nawaz Sharif will also be involved in the campaign.