Physician refused to visit Nawaz 5 times in June

ISLAMABAD: The personal physician of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has sought permission five times in the month of June through his letters to visit his patient in Kot Lakhpat Jail, but all his efforts fell on deaf ears and failed to yield any positive result.

Dr Muhammad Adnan Khan, personal physician of Nawaz Sharif and chief executive of Sharif Medical City, wrote letters to the Punjab chief secretary on June 1; June 3; June 10; June 11 and June 15, but the provincial authorities never allowed him to visit his patient who is suffering from some eight known fatal diseases.

Now he is even not allowed to meet ousted prime minister on Thursday (regular visitation day) as the jail authorities allow only five family members to meet former prime minister on this day. But he often keeps standing outside the Kot Lakhpat Jail with a hope that someday he would be allowed to visit Nawaz Sharif as he is best acquainted with his medical condition.

According to the reports prepared by different independent medical boards, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is suffering from different diseases such as heart, conduction defects, chronic kidney disease, extracranial carotid and vertebral artery, atherosclerotic vascular, diabetes, hypertension and lymphadenopathy.

The reports also showed that his Right Internal Carotid Artery has been found to have a blockage of more than 60%, and the blockage of his Left Internal Carotid Artery has progressed to almost 50%. It is pertinent to add that any blockage of the carotid artery in excess of 50% is designated as critical, and poses imminent risk of a stroke. Maryam Nawaz, daughter of Nawaz Sharif, has also stated that the degree of hypertension and diabetes from which he has been suffering has also aggravated, and resultantly the dosage for controlling his blood pressure and blood glucose has had to be doubled.

She also said in her tweet that her father's condition was life-threatening as he has had four angina attacks in the last week. Dr Muhammad Adnan Khan said conviction by the Accountability Court should not come at the risk of damage of the health of Nawaz Sharif and neglect, thereof, on part of the authorities by prohibiting visits by his personal physician.

“Nawaz Sharif is being denied access to his personal physician, which is not only a violation of his basic constitutional rights, but also a portrayal of lack of basic human decency on part of the authorities who have refused consent to visit my patient.” This correspondent repeatedly tried to get official version of Punjab Information Minister Sumsam Bokhari, but he neither received phone calls nor replied to text messages.