ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s wife, Kulsoom Nawaz, reportedly opened her eyes for a short time on Thursday, though she has not regained consciousness completely.
Kulsoom is currently on life-support at the Harley Street Clinic, London. She suffered a cardiac arrest last month, and was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2017.
Sharif’s son, Husain Nawaz, told media in London that his mother had blinked for the first time “exactly after one month.”
“The doctors have changed her ventilator settings and reduced her sedatives,” he said, adding that he asked people to pray for his mother’s health. 
Much like her brother, Maryam Nawaz also heaved a sigh of relief, though she said it was not clear if her mother had “seen or registered us.”
The ex-premier and his daughter, who are facing graft charges, had gone to London to see Kulsoom when they were convicted in the Avenfield reference. Father and daughter were sentenced to 10 and seven years in prison respectively by the accountability court in Lahore, and are due to file an appeal against the decision.
Prior to the verdict, the two had promised to return to the country after Kulsoom regained consciousness.
After their conviction, however, Maryam announced that her father would place his national responsibilities over personal ones and would return to Pakistan. Sharif and his daughter are expected to arrive in Lahore on Friday evening. 
Kulsoom Nawaz opens her eyes for the first time in a month
Kulsoom Nawaz opens her eyes for the first time in a month
- Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s wife still on life support in London clinic
Indonesia reaffirms Yemen’s territorial integrity, backs stability efforts amid tensions
- Statement comes after Saudi Arabia bombed a UAE weapons shipment at Yemeni port city
- Jakarta last week said it ‘appreciates’ Riyadh ‘working together’ with Yemen to restore stability
JAKARTA: Indonesia has called for respect for Yemen’s territorial integrity and commended efforts to maintain stability in the region, a day after Saudi Arabia bombed a weapons shipment from the UAE at a Yemeni port city that Riyadh said was intended for separatist forces.
Saudi Arabia carried out a “limited airstrike” at Yemen’s port city of Al-Mukalla in the southern province of Hadramout on Tuesday, following the arrival of an Emirati shipment that came amid heightened tensions linked to advances by the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council in the war-torn country.
In a statement issued late on Wednesday, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it “appreciates further efforts by concerned parties to maintain stability and security,” particularly in the provinces of Hadramout and Al-Mahara.
“Indonesia reaffirms the importance of peaceful settlement through an inclusive and comprehensive political dialogue under the coordination of the United Nations and respecting Yemen’s legitimate government and territorial integrity,” Indonesia’s foreign affairs ministry said.
The latest statement comes after Jakarta said last week that it “appreciates the efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as other relevant countries, working together with Yemeni stakeholders to de-escalate tensions and restore stability.”
Saudi Arabia leads the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, which includes the UAE and was established in 2015 to combat the Houthi rebels, who control most of northern Yemen.
Riyadh has been calling on the STC, which initially supported Yemen’s internationally recognized government against the Houthi rebels, to withdraw after it launched an offensive against the Saudi-backed government troops last month, seeking an independent state in the south.
Indonesia has also urged for “all parties to exercise restraint and avoid unilateral action that could impact security conditions,” and has previously said that the rising tensions in Yemen could “further deteriorate the security situation and exacerbate the suffering” of the Yemeni people.
Indonesia, the world’s biggest Muslim-majority country, maintains close ties with both Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which are its main trade and investment partners in the Middle East.
