LAHORE: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, accompanied by his daughter and son-in-law, reached London on Wednesday to see his ailing wife Kulsoom.

Mr Sharif, Maryam and retired Capt Safdar arrived at the Allama Iqbal International Airport here in the morning and boarded night ofaforeign airlines.

Maryam tweeted they would return before the next hearing of the accountability court seized with references against them if they were not granted exemption from appearing before it personally. The hearing is scheduled for April 23.

`If exemption not granted, will return before the next hearing. Remember my mother in your special prayers,` she wrote.

According to a spokesman for the Sharif family, Kulsoom has been under treatment in a hospital in London as her condition is serious. She was operated upon for lymphoma (throat cancer) last year.

Subsequently she underwent several sessions of chemotherapy.

The three members of the Sharif family were able to make the journey to London because despite a request by the NAB the government has not put their names on the Exit Control List. The NAB made the request because all three of them are facing references in an accountability court.

The government has not cited any plausible reason for not putting their names on the no-fly list.

Mr Sharif`s two sons, Hussain and Hassan Nawaz, are already in London and have been declared proclaimed offenders by the accountability court because they have not been appearing before it.

The Lahore office of NAB has summoned Mr Sharif on April 21 for allegedly misusing his authority in connection with construction of a road to his residence in Raiwind.