Nawaz to get back home only after doctors’ permission

Federal ministers’ conflicting statements spread confusion

ISLAMABAD: Conflicting assertions of federal ministers about Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s return to Pakistan apart, he will come back home only after his doctors, who are treating him for his heart problem, will issue a clean bill of health.

One minister stated that the premier will have to spend one and a half month in London for medical treatment. Another federal cabinet member said that Nawaz Sharif would fly back next week. Yet another minister gave a safe statement saying that the prime minister will come back in a few days as the doctors have given an encouraging report.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) spokesman Naeemul Haq did not let the contradictory statements go unnoticed. “We should be told when the prime minister will return,” he asked and said that the ministers’ statements have spread confusion.

Before that, there was also some divergence of stands. It was officially stated that the prime minister has gone to London for his medical check-up. However, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan announced that Nawaz Sharif was in Britain for treatment of his heart problem.

In the absence of a conclusive opinion of the team of specialists, guesswork has been on about the duration of stay of the prime minister in London. However, it goes without saying that he is unlikely to remain there even for a day when it would not be needed for his medical condition. His departure amid controversy over the Panama Papers leaks was given different interpretation by his opponents.

A mere comprehensive check-up doesn’t last many days as most heart-related tests can be conducted in less than a week. If all goes well, the prime minister will fly back home next week.

However, if heart surgery is carried out, at least one month was generally needed for rest, prohibiting air travel. It is only after at least four weeks that doctors allow air journey if the operation is successful, and the recovery is normal.

Reports emanating from London have so far spoken of different tests of the prime minister that have been conducted. They haven’t yet hinted at any further surgery.

However, in Nawaz Sharif’s absence from Pakistan, there has been business as usual as far as running of the affairs of the government is concerned. It was officially stated on Friday that the prime minister announced compensation package for the affected of recent landslides in Azad Jammu & Kashmir. An amount of Rs500,000 has been announced for the owners of completely damaged houses while Rs250,000 will be given to the owners of partially damaged houses under the package. He said that he will visit the affected areas and personally meet with the victims soon.

In his absence, there has also been significant progress on constituting the judicial commission to inquire into the offshore companies, owned by Pakistani businessmen and politicians including Nawaz Sharif’s children. Not a single adverse comment has been come from any set of senior lawyers on the new pick, retired Supreme Court Judge Sarmad Jalal Osmany.

It was also during the prime minister’s absence from the country that a meeting of the senior ministers and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders decided to approach all the political parties to evolve a consensus on the composition of the judicial commission.

Maryam Nawaz took an active part in these deliberations and articulated her appreciation of the ministers for defending the prime minister against the ongoing onslaught on him on the question of the offshore companies. Earlier, she has been mostly working behind-the-scenes and closely advising her father. She had also been attending the closed-door ruling party meetings to give her input.

As Nawaz Sharif left for London, he asked Maryam to stay back and make her contributions in different important matters relating to the government and the PML-N. This process will go till his return.