- Pervaiz Rashid says imprisoned former PM yet to be properly diagnosed
- Says Sharif satisfied with ongoing treatment by competent team of doctors
ISLAMABAD: Jailed former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif would decide himself if he wanted to be treated in Pakistan or abroad, close aide Pervaiz Rasheed said on Thursday, days after the ex-premier was shifted to a hospital with an alarmingly low platelet count.
Sharif, 69, is a three-time prime minister, and currently serving jail time after a conviction for corruption last year. He denied the charges, which he says are politically motivated.
On Monday, Sharif was taken to a hospital in the city of Lahore. Members of his Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) party have variously claimed since that his health was deteriorating and the government was delaying treatment.
His brother, PMLN president Shehbaz Sharif, has filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court asking that Sharif be released on medical grounds and allowed full treatment in Pakistan or abroad.
“He [Sharif] is still in jail, and will decide himself if he wants his treatment in Pakistan or abroad,” Pervaiz Rashid told Arab News in a phone interview, adding that the former PM’s ailment was as yet not properly diagnosed and he would undergo a series of medical tests in the next 24 hours.
“His disease is yet to be diagnosed fully, doctors have yet to ascertain a basic cause behind his ailment before starting the proper treatment,” Rashid said. “This is an ongoing process and premature to say anything about improvement or no improvement in his health.”
He added that Sharif was satisfied with the treatment he was currently receiving and was being examined by a team of competent doctors.
Prime Minister Imran Khan said in a Twitter post that “political differences notwithstanding,” his sincere prayers were with Sharif for his health.
“I have directed all concerned to ensure provision of the best possible health care and medical treatment to him,” Khan tweeted.
The Punjab government has constituted a six-member medical board to examine Sharif. Professor Dr. Mahmood Ayyaz, the head of the board, told media some of the former PM’s tests were unsatisfactory and his platelet count had dropped to 10,000.
“The tests with unsatisfactory results are being conducted again,” he told reporters, declining further comment.
The Sharif party’s secretary for information, Maryam Aurangzeb, earlier condemned what she called a “deliberate delay” in moving Sharif to hospital and in his treatment.
“The government is crossing all limits of political victimization against PMLN and the Sharif family,” Aurangzeb said.
The government denies that the legal action against Sharif and other members of his family, including elder daughter Maryam Nawaz, who is also in detention for suspected graft, is politically motivated.