LAHORE: As the fresh medical reports of former premier Nawaz Sharif are expected to be received by the Punjab home department on Thursday (today), the health department has notified a 14-member medical board to solicit its opinion on the matter to decide whether to give him extension in his stay abroad or not.

“The earlier 14-member medical board headed by Services Hospital Principal Dr Mahmood Ayaz has been re-notified to examine the fresh medical reports of Mr Sharif. We expect to receive Mr Sharif’s fresh ‘detailed’ medical reports from the home department (on Thursday) and the board may take a couple of days to give its opinion on the matter,” Punjab Health Secretary Nabeel Awan told Dawn.

He said it would be the same board that examined Mr Sharif before his departure to London for treatment.

According to Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid, Nawaz Sharif’s (fresh) medical reports have been submitted to the Pakistani High Commission in London and the Punjab government will receive the same on Thursday.

Ex-PM’s counsel says doctors in London didn’t advise Mr Sharif about air travel so far

Earlier, the Punjab government rejected Mr Sharif’s medical reports submitted to it on Dec 23 for extension in his stay abroad on the expiry of the four-week period allowed by the high court to visit London for medical treatment. With his application, Mr Sharif attached his medical reports, but the Buzdar administration sought fresh reports after his London cafe photo went viral on Monday last.

Mr Sharif’s personal physician Dr Adnan Khan in a tweet on Wednesday said: “Former PM #NawazSharif’s LATEST medical report dated 13/01/2020 notarized, attested & authenticated under seal by the Notary Public, Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO-UK) & High Commission for Pakistan, London, UK. Similarly, Scans & Investigations are legally authenticated too.”

Meanwhile, Advocate Amjad Pervez, a lawyer of Mr Sharif, filed his fresh medical reports to the additional registrar (judicial) of the Lahore High Court declaring “the health of client is still not well.”

Mr Pervez said the reports were duly attested by Pakistan High Commission in London where Mr Sharif had gone to have treatment with a conditional permission granted by the court. According to the reports, “Mr Sharif is receiving treatment for the stability of his platelets. He is also a patient of hypertension, diabetes and kidney disease.”

The lawyer said the reports prepared by the London’s doctors had not so far advised Mr Sharif about air travel.

The court had allowed Mr Sharif to travel abroad initially for a period of four weeks allowing bail to him on medical grounds. The lawyers of Sharif were directed to keep filing fortnightly medical reports.

Reacting strongly to the comments of ruling PTI leaders and the premier, Mr Sharif’s son Hussain Nawaz said: “Prime Minister Imran Khan is doing politics on my father’s health to cover up his government’s failures on every front. All medical reports of Nawaz Sharif are submitted on time.”

A leading cardiac surgeon has termed the ex-PM’s stay in the UK ‘vital’ for his health management. Dr David Lawrence, a cardiac surgeon who is known for performing minimally invasive chest surgery and lung cancer surgery, penned a letter [report] detailing Mr Nawaz’s medical history from 2003 to 2019 as well as his current treatment plan.

“The stability of healthcare management is of vital importance for the patient, hence he [Nawaz] should remain under the care of his healthcare providers in the UK until his diseases are adequately addressed,” said Dr Lawrence.

The PML-N has invited Punjab Health Minister Yasmin Rashid to London to verify facts about the health of Mr Sharif by herself.

The PTI has asked Nawaz Sharif to return to the country if he is well to honour his commitment to the court and complete his jail term in the Al-Azizia Mills corruption case.

Published in Dawn, January 16th, 2020