Nawaz Sharif shifted to hospital from jail

Lahore: Pakistan's former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who is serving a seven-year imprisonment in a Lahore jail, was rushed to a hospital on Tuesday after he complained of heart related complications.

Sharif, 69, was taken to the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) Lahore from Kot Lakhpat Jail in high security. Wearing off-white shalwar qameez and blue waistcoat, Sharif chose not to respond the media queries on his arrival at the hospital.

Doctors conducted his various tests including TROP-I, Echocardiography and Stress Thallium Scan. "My father is not well. I wanted to go to the PIC but my father stopped me to come because of security issues," Sharif's daughter Maryam Nawaz said.

"The authorities concerned have not yet provided with us the reports of the special medical board that earlier had examined Mian sahib. After pleading with the jail authorities, we have also written to the Punjab Home department for the reports but to no avail," she said.

A special medical board that examined Sharif in jail last week observed "he is not completely well" as more investigations (tests) are required before suggesting treatment for him. According to the report of the special medical board, "Patient Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, 69, examined by the special medical board is a known case of diabetes Mellitus and hypertension for the last 10 years. He is also known case of Ischemic heart disease since 2001."

It says "vague symptoms of pain in Sharif's both arms particularly at night and numbness of toes. He can walk 45 minutes without any significant symptoms. He denied of any symptoms of dizziness, pre-syncope or syncope. His haemodynamics were also within normal limits. He is on dual antiplatelets, beta blocker, amlodipine, ARB'S and stains with anti-diabetics treatment."

Sharif underwent Coronary Angioplasty (PCI) twice in 2001 and 2017. He also had open heart surgery twice in 2011 and 2016 (no medical record/documents are available for these above said procedures at the time of examination), it says.

The board says after evaluating these test reports and availability of previous cardiac medical record further management plan will be proceeded. Sharif was shifted to the Kot Lakhpat jail on December 25, a day after he was sentenced by the accountability court in Islamabad to seven years' imprisonment in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills case.

A disqualification of 10 years from holding any public office is part of the sentences awarded to the three times prime minister of the country.