Daily Times

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said the schedule for Nawaz Sharif’s heart procedure has been changed twice owing to the absence of his daughter Maryam Nawaz.

In a series of posts on Twitter regarding Nawaz’s health, Shehbaz said the former prime minister’s health is still in an unstable condition. “The procedure required for Nawaz’s treatment has to be changed twice because his daughter Maryam, who wanted to be with her father at that time, was not allowed to come from Pakistan,” Shehbaz said. “Maryam should have been with Nawaz but she was not allowed to travel abroad to meet her ailing father,” Shehbaz said, adding Nawaz’s current health condition is critical owing to complex and deadly diseases faced by him.

The PML-N president shared that Nawaz has already undergone open-heart surgeries twice during his treatment at the Royal Brompton Hospital where he was diagnosed with severe contractions in his veins leading to the heart. He said Begum Nawaz’s death had a profoundly negative effect on Nawaz’s health. “During this time, Maryam was a source of courage for Nawaz at the time but it is unfortunate that she is not allowed to visit her ailing father in this critical time,” he said. “Because of Maryam’s absence, the cardiologist had to change the schedule of the ‘cardiac catheterisation’ procedure twice,” he said. In view of the serious health condition of Nawaz, Maryam should be allowed to visit his father on humanitarian grounds, he said. “As Nawaz’s health is concerning, the margin for medical action is reducing as more time passes,” he said.

Meanwhile, Nawaz’s personal physician Dr Adnan Khan said that the former prime minister, after intensive investigations, was found to have ‘complex multi-vessel coronary artery disease and substantial ischemic and threatened myocardium’.

In a tweet on Wednesday, he highlighted that Nawaz was scheduled to undergo a procedure last week. However, the procedure was delayed as Maryam was not allowed to travel. “Now, once again, the procedure is being postponed for a later date for the same reason.”

He stressed that any undue delay is taxing on Nawaz’s health and could have adverse consequences. “Maryam must be with her father at the time of this complicated, high-risk cardiac intervention,” he added.

Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry on Wednesday said that if Maryam Nawaz wants to travel abroad, she should first seek a plea bargain.

While praying for the health of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Fawad Chaudhry said the way the entire Sharif family has done, it seems that they had a plan to escape from the country. “The dates submitted in the courts from the family for the return have exceeded but neither Nawaz Sharif nor Shehbaz Sharif is coming back,” he said, adding that it seems that there are two laws operational in the country.

While lamenting the role of courts in allowing Nawaz’s departure from the country, Fawad Chaudhry said that he had raised his voice against allowing the two to leave the country. “It has also irked our voters and supporters who are asking questions as to why those under the accountability radar are allowed to travel abroad,” he said.