Ailing ex-Pak PM Sharif's health improves

Lahore: Pakistan’s former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s health has shown signs of improvement as his platelet count rose to 51,000 even though his blood pressure and sugar level is still high, according to a media report on Friday.

The 69-year-old Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo, who is is admitted in Services Hospital here, was on Thursday examined by a medical board.

Sharif’s platelets on Thursday increased from 35,000 to 51,000, showing improvement in his condition, the doctors said, according to Dawn.

The three-time prime minister was rushed to the hospital on Monday night from Pakistan’s anti-graft body’s custody after his platelets dropped to a critically low level of 2,000.

Initially, Sharif was reluctant to go to hospital. However, he agreed to get treated at the Services Hospital when his younger brother Shahbaz Sharif, who was especially called there, persuaded him, the daily said

The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday suspended Sharif’s seven year sentence for eight weeks in a corruption case, paving way for his release on medical grounds.

He had already secured bail from the Lahore High Court in the money laundering case linked to the Chaudhry Sugar Mills.

Regarding shifting Sharif to London for better treatment, PML-N secretary general Ahsan Iqbal said on Wednesday that the first and foremost effort of doctors is to stabilise his condition.

“Once his condition is stabilised, the question of his going abroad will arise and be decided,” Iqbal said.

Another PML-N leader and former foreign minister Khwaja Asif said Sharif will decide on his own whether he wants to be treated abroad or not.