Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif, who remains incarcerated at Kot Lakhpat prison, Wednesday told his family members that neither had he begged the government for his treatment, nor would he ask for it.
The former prime minister has been imprisoned at Kot Lakhpat jail since December 2018 following his conviction in a corruption reference in line with the Supreme Court’s July 2017 verdict.
Nawaz’s mother, his brother Shehbaz Sharif and daughter Maryam Nawaz met the former premier today to convince him to be shifted to hospital.
“Neither have I begged for treatment, nor will I ask for it. Politics is being done in the name of treatment,” Nawaz told visiting members of his family.
“The insulting behaviour of the government is not acceptable,” he said, adding he was being taken to one hospital from another.
The former premier lamented that his treatment was initiated despite reports from five medical boards.
“The government has not yet provided any treatment facility, [I am] only being troubled,” he said. “I will prefer to die honourably, but humiliation is unacceptable.”
The family said that Nawaz Sharif was not ready to go to hospital despite cardiac issues.
Requesting his mother to return home, the former premier asked her to pray for him, saying, “Whatever would be the will of Almighty Allah, it would happen.”
Speaking to media, Shehbaz confirmed that his elder brother’s condition was unsatisfactory.
“Nawaz is suffering from pains in his arm repeatedly, which is an alarming symptom,” Shehbaz told newsmen.
He further said there would be no meetings with the former prime minister in jail on Thursday, owing to his condition.
On Tuesday, Maryam had shared that Nawaz’s condition was life-threatening and that he had had four angina attacks in the last week.
Her father had not been offered any treatment even when he was taken to the hospital and kept there for days, she had revealed.
As former premier Nawaz Sharif refused to be shifted back to hospital from jail, a medical team arrived at Kot Lakhpat jail for his examination on Wednesday.
As per details, a team of doctors along with a government representative and jail superintendent visited the imprisoned leader of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and conducted his medical checkup.
The spokesperson of the Punjab government told that Nawaz’s condition is completely fine as of now.
The Chief Minister of Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar had ordered to move Sharif to the hospital in view of his health condition.
The PML-N leaders have also been expressing concerns over the deteriorating health of their supreme leader.
Sources told that Nawaz Sharif was constantly neglecting food prescription by the doctors.
The government had earlier finalized arrangements to move Sharif back to the Punjab Institute of Cardiology.
Leader of the opposition in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz said that Nawaz Sharif has refused to go to the hospital for his treatment despite the fact that family members have tried really hard to convince him but in vain. “Nothing is more important than my respect and dignity and I appeal to my party workers to pray for me,” Nawaz Sharif told Hamza at Kot Lakhopat Jail. Hamza further added that why government constituted 5 medical boards for Sharif if it doesn’t have any plan to follow the guidelines of the medical board. It is a criminal neglect on part of the government to not providing health facilities to Sharif of his own choice keeping in view his condition, he added.
Meanwhile, PML-N MPA Hina Pervaiz Butt said that he is suffering from a life threatening disease and therefore he should be treated by the doctor who has his medical history and has treated him before. She was of the view that Nawaz Sharif was taken to Jinnah, Services and PIC but he didn’t get proper treatment in any of the hospitals. “The medical boards reports say that Mian Shb has Ischemic Heart Disease and he has had two open heart Surgeries, 7 procedures of coronary intervention and a complex previous history of medical interventions,” she said. Moreover, he also has stage 3 chronic kidney disease, uncontrolled hypertension and sub-optimally controlled Diabetes.
Published in Daily Times, March 7th 2019.