Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa telephoned former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today, Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated. 

COAS made a tel call to Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif. Expressed his best wishes and prayers for health of Begum Kalsoom Nawaz Sharif.

— Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) August 23, 2017

According to media of wing of military, Army Chief asked Sharif about health of his wife Kalsoom Nawaz. "Bajwa prayed for quick health recovery of Kalsoom Nawaz," DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor tweeted.  

Yesterday it was reported that Kalsoom Nawaz has been diagnosed with stage-one throat cancer by British consultants and sources in the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) confirmed. 

However, the former first lady who left for London last week, will stay as PML-N candidate for NA-120 by-election, which is scheduled to take place on Sept 17.

The NA-120 seat had fallen vacant following Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification by the Supreme Court in Panama Papers case on July 28.

Although her cancer is at the elementary stage and curable through medicines, sources told The Nation that Kalsoom’s treatment and recovery will take two to three weeks, decreasing the chances of her active participation in the election campaign.

At the same time, they added, that some other reports are still awaited following which final word would be said about the nature of treatment and time to be consumed by it. So far doctors are not much convinced about the need for any surgery, according to the sources.

Party sources have ruled out the possibility of Kalsoom not contesting the elections. “She will solidly stay in the field,” they stated.