Maryam expresses concern for Nawaz's health, says 'callousness on part of govt is shocking'

Published March 5, 2019
Nawaz Sharif not offered any treatment even when he is hospitalised, alleges Maryam Nawaz in a series of tweets on Tuesday. — DawnNewsTV/File
Nawaz Sharif not offered any treatment even when he is hospitalised, alleges Maryam Nawaz in a series of tweets on Tuesday. — DawnNewsTV/File

Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday claimed that her father Nawaz Sharif experienced five episodes of angina over the past week, and that the PTI-led government's "callousness" towards his health is putting at risk his health and life.

Maryam, after visiting her father at Kot Lakhpat jail — where the former prime minister is serving a seven-year jail term awarded to him in the Al Azizia corruption case — through a series of tweets called into question what she called was "heartlessness, hostility and political victimisation meted out to Mian Nawaz Sharif".

"Mian Nawaz Sharif’s doctor and I met him at Kot Lakhpat jail today. During the meeting, he had an episode of angina and asked for his nitrate spray. It was then that he divulged that he has had similar attacks 4 times in last week. He reiterated that he will neither report [it] nor complain [about it]."

"There is no treatment offered to him even when he is taken to and kept in the hospital for days. He says he doesn’t want to be in the hospital as an excuse or escape or just for the sake of it.

"Mian Nawaz Sharif is a three-time prime minister; the insensitivity and callousness regarding his health on part of the government is shocking to say the least. My family and I are extremely concerned given the grave risk to his health. His condition is in every way life-threatening," she continued.

"It’s a medical fact that every episode of angina worsens the heart disease further and can irreversibly damage the heart. Who will I blame or who will be responsible if anything happens to him God forbid? The callousness, I repeat, is shocking," she asserted.

"Imagine the extent of the heartlessness, hostility and political victimisation meted out to Mian Nawaz Sharif by the government that he is risking his health and life."

Last month, on February 25, the Islamabad High Court rejected a petition seeking release of Sharif on bail on medical grounds in the Al-Azizia corruption case.

The 9-page detailed order on the petition noted that Sharif sought bail "solely" on medical grounds.

It also pointed out that the former premier had previously filed a second petition seeking suspension of his sentence and release on bail on merits of the case, but subsequently withdrew the same.

"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 order had said.

According to the judgement: "The petitioner [Sharif] has been hospitalised time and again since January, 2019, whenever he made complaints about his indisposition. In fact the reports of board of doctors and various teams constituted, are indicative of the fact that petitioner is receiving best possible medical treatment available to any individual in Pakistan."

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