Shahbaz to visit granddaughter in London hospital

LONDON: Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif will be visiting London for a few days to see his ailing granddaughter who is admitted in the intensive care unit of a local West London hospital.

Shehbaz will be visiting his son Hamza Shahbaz’s daughter, who was born two weeks ago and was diagnosed with cardiac disease and operated on last week.

A source said that Shahbaz Sharif will stay in London for about three days and will return to Pakistan to resume his political activities full time. Shahbaz Sharif was released from the NAB custody a few days ago after spending nearly four months in the NAB custody. He will also undergo his own medical check ups while in London.

Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz Sharif’s new-born daughter was diagnosed with a serious cardiac issue and doctors has advised the parents that she must undergo life-saving surgery.

The baby girl was born with a serious cardiac situation and was admitted in the ICU of the private hospital after her birth. She underwent cardiac operation five days ago and although the operation was successful the doctors have advised that she should remain in the ICU until she is stable. Hamza Shehbaz Sharif arrived in London on February 3 after the Lahore High Court gave the leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly one-time permission to leave the country for a period of 10 days – till February 13. The source at the clinic shared that the medical situation of the child is of serious nature and that her condition is “complicated and serious”.

Hamza Shahbaz had intended to leave for London to be in the hospital with his wife on Nov 27, 2018, but he was barred from boarding the plane and informed by the authorities that his name had been included in the list on National Accountability Bureau's advice. In a petition, Hamza had pleaded that he had the right to travel and free movement was guaranteed under the Constitution, and placing on him on the ECL was in utter violation of his fundamental rights.

The opposition leader in the PA has been seen visiting the West London clinic frequently. “He has been spending most of the time in the hospital where his wife remains admitted with the newborn baby,” said the source.