Quick Facts
Biography
Kulsoom Nawaz Sharif (Urdu: كلثوم نواز شريف) is a Pakistani politician who is currently a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan. She was the First Lady of Pakistan for a three non-consecutive terms; from 1990 to 1993, 1997 to 1999 and then from 2013 to 2017.
Born into a Kashmiri family in Lahore, she attended Islamia College and Forman Christian College University for her graduation. Kulsoom is married to Nawaz Sharif, with whom she has four children. Kulsoom served as the President of Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) from 1999 to 2002.
Early life and education
Sharif was born in Lahore, into a Kashmiri family.
She attended Islamia College and graduated from the Forman Christian College in Lahore. She received a Masters degree in Urdu from the Punjab University in 1970.
First Lady
Kulsoom became First Lady of Pakistan for the first time after her husband Nawaz Sharif became Prime Minister of Pakistan on 1 November 1990 when his party Islami Jamhoori Ittehad won 104 of 207 seats contested in the Pakistani general election, 1990. His first term as Prime Minister was ended in July 1993.
She became First Lady of Pakistan for the second time after Nawaz Sharif became Prime Minister of Pakistan when his party Pakistan Muslim League (N) won the Pakistani general election, 1997. His second term as the Prime Minister was ended when then Chief of Army Staff General Pervez Musharraf led a military coup d'état against him on 12 October 1999. Kulsoom was arrested by the Pakistan Army Corps of Military Police and immediately shifted to her local residence. According to her daughter, Maryam Nawaz, Kalsoom "dauntlessly challenged the usurper when a lot of men backed out". Nawaz Sharif named his wife as the President of Pakistan Muslim League in 1999, and she remained on post till 2002.
She became First Lady of Pakistan for the third time after Nawaz Sharif became Prime Minister of Pakistan when his party Pakistan Muslim League (N) won the Pakistani general election, 2013.
Political career
Sharif was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan for the first time from NA-120 (Lahore-III) as a candidate of PML (N) in by-polls held in September 2017. She secured 59,413 votes and defeated Yasmin Rashid of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. The NA-120 seat fell vacant after her husband, Nawaz Sharif, was disqualified by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in the Panama Papers case.
Family
She married to Nawaz Sharif, the three times Prime Minister of Pakistan, in April 1971. The couple have four children's, Maryam, Asma, Hassan and Hussain.
From her maternal side, she is the granddaughter of wrestler The Great Gama.
Kalsoom has two sisters and a brother.