Sharif demands medical facilities in jail

Islamabad: A medical board which examined Nawaz Sharif today recommended the immediate shifting of the jailed former Pakistan prime minister to a hospital but the PML-N supremo insisted that the required medical facilities should be provided to him in the jail itself, according to a media report.

Sharif, 68, and his daughter Maryam, 44, are serving jail terms of 10 years and 7 years respectively in Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, after an accountability court convicted them on July 6 over the family’s ownership of four luxury flats in London.

A four-member medical board comprising cardiologist Dr Naeem Malik, Medical Specialist Dr. Shaji Siddiqui, neurologist Dr Sohail Tanvir and Dr Mashood examined Sharif to decide about shifting him to the hospital following health related complications, sources said. Sharif has multiple health issues like heart problems, hypertension and diabetes. He already underwent open heart surgery in London in 2016.

Citing family sources, Urdu langauge daily ‘Jang’ said that the medical board has recommended to immediately shift Sharif to the hospital, but he insisted that the required medical facilities should be provided to him in the jail itself. Meanwhile, Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain today expressed concerns at Sharif’s health conditions and asked the government to ensure his treatment.

In a phone call to Prime Minister Nasirul Mulk, the President “expressed concerns” at the health condition of Sharif and asked him to “ensure complete treatment of the former prime minister”, according to a statement issued by the President House. Sharif’s family and the party also voiced concerns at the reports about his health complications.

His younger brother and PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif said that he had already raised the issue of poor jail condition in a letter addressed to the Punjab government and asked for provision of facilities to the former premier. PML-N leader Pervaiz Rashid also expressed concerns at Sharif’s health and demanded that he should be provided complete medical care.

Earlier, a team of doctors from Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology (RIC), headed by its Chief Executive Major General (retd) Dr Azhar Mehmood Kayani, visited the prison and compiled a report after carrying out a detailed medical check-up, the Express Tribune reported.

Although his personal physician Dr Adnan had seen him twice in recent days, the jail administration called doctors from RIC to be sure of what had happened. The team spent about one-and-a-half hour inspecting his condition.

According to the RIC medical team, his body’s water levels are very low, which has made his heartbeat erratic now. The amount of urea in his blood has also become very high, which could even lead to kidney failure, the report said.

They recommended to shift Sharif to the hospital immediately. Sharif had complained about his health on Saturday. The Punjab Prisons sources told Daily Express that they are waiting for the Punjab home department’s orders about shifting Sharif to the hospital.

Caretaker provincial ministers Shaukat Javed and Ahmed Waqas Riaz confirmed that Sharif’s medical tests suggested he had kidney issues. The caretaker government is in touch with jail authorities and Sharif is getting better medical facilities, they added.

Meanwhile, Barrister Zafrullah Khan of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has filed a petition with the Supreme Court to declare residences of Sharif and his daughter Maryam and son-in-law Muhammad Safdar as sub-jails.