Shahbaz freed, Nawaz shifted to Jinnah Hospital from jail

LAHORE: While Pakistan Muslim League-N President Shahbaz Sharif has been granted bail and released on the court orders, the incarcerated former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who was shifted to the Jinnah Hospital on Friday, says he is also expecting justice.

An accountability court on Friday issued the release orders for the opposition leader in National Assembly. Judge Najamul Hassan issued the written orders, which were sent to Camp Jail through a court employee.

After his release from the sub jail at the Minister's Enclave in Islamabad, Shahbaz Sharif reached Lahore on Friday night. Dozens of party workers and supporters carrying party flags had reached the Allama Iqbal International Airport to welcome the party chief.

On Thursday, the Lahore High Court had granted bail to Shahbaz Sharif in the Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing scam and Ramzan Sugar Mills cases. Meanwhile, Nawaz Sharif was shifted to the Jinnah Hospital from Kot Lakhpat jail for medical treatment amid tight security on Friday.

The Punjab government had decided to shift the ousted premier to hospital on Thursday evening in the wake of recommendations of the previous medical boards and request of his personal physician Dr Muhammad Adnan Khan.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Quaid was shifted to Kot Lakhpat jail from Services Hospital on Feb 7 after Nawaz Sharif insisted that he should be shifted to jail against the recommendations of the special medical board.

The ousted premier has been serving a seven-year jail term at Kot Lakhpat Jail in Al-Azizia case and now the medical ward, he has been shifted to, at Jinnah Hospital has been declared a sub jail.

Dozens of the PML-N workers, supporters and leaders reached the Jinnah Hospital as soon as the former PM was being brought from jail on Friday. They chanted slogans in his favour.

In the wake of strong police presence, attendants of patients admitted at Jinnah Hospital had to face problems for quite some time. Extraordinary cleanliness and proper lighting arrangements were ensured at different wards of the hospital including its reception ahead of Nawaz’s arrival at hospital.

Former premier first expressed concerns over lack of facilities for his stay at hospital and refused to be admitted to the room reserved for him by the hospital administration. However, he was finally shifted to a room on the third floor above the MS office near the Gynae Unit-II. One of the two LEDs from the office of Medical Superintendent (MS) Jinnah Hospital was removed and installed at his room.

Earlier Allama Iqbal Medical College’s Principal/MS Prof Dr Arif Tajammul had told reporters that besides other specialities Jinnah Hospital had a cardiac treatment facility. He added the former PM would be provided with the best care at the hospital.

Sources in the hospital said the former premier would again undergo some medical tests while a special medical board would be formed to have his comprehensive medical examination in the light of his latest and previous medical test reports.

Nawaz Sharif’s personal physician Dr Muhammad Adnan Khan had also reached the hospital. To a question, he said Nawaz's heart condition should be monitored for 24 hours and added he was unaware of the facilities available at Jinnah Hospital and would get a better understanding after meeting the MS.