Incarcerated former prime minister Nawaz Sharif continues to refuse to be shifted to a hospital for treatment of his worsening cardiac health, his daughter said on Friday, a day after the government allowed him to receive medical care from any facility of his choice.
Taking to Twitter after meeting her father in jail, Maryam Nawaz said according to cardiologists sent by the government to examine Sharif on Thursday, the former premier’s heart disease has “worsened”.
In these circumstances, she wrote, “I request the Jail authorities to establish an immediate resuscitation and life saving unit on [the] Jail premises.”
She said this was the least that her father deserved, being a three-time prime minister and “leader of [the] biggest political party & of millions of people”.
Her request comes a day after Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry revealed that Prime Minister Imran Khan had directed the Punjab government to give Sharif access to the hospital and doctor of his choice. He said the premier had directed the provincial government to provide the former prime minister with the best medical facilities and called for implementation of the recommendations of a medical board that recently examined him.
He later said Khan’s directive “indicates that the PTI government has no personal enmity with any person”.
Separately, Punjab Chief Minister’s Spokesperson Dr Shahbaz Gill said he had met Sharif on the directives of Prime Minister Khan and Chief Minister Usman Buzdar.
Concerns over deteriorating health
Sharif is serving a seven-year jail term awarded to him in the Al-Azizia corruption case at the Kot Lakhpat jail. In recent days, his family members and PML-N leaders have raised concern about the former prime minister’s reportedly deteriorating health and treatment options available to him.
On February 25, the Islamabad High Court had rejected a petition seeking Sharif’s release on bail on medical grounds.
“None of the reports [about Sharif’s condition] suggest that continued incarceration of the petitioner, in any way, would be detrimental to his life,” the court’s detailed judgement had said.
