Govt asks Shehbaz to provide medical reports of Nawaz

ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Monday asked the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif to provide medical reports of his brother Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif within a period of 10 days or appropriate proceedings will be initiated against him before the Lahore High Court for breach of undertaking and order of the court. The office of the Attorney General for Pakistan, in a letter, asked Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif to provide within 10 days, medical reports of his brother former prime minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif.

“Before initiating appropriate proceedings before the Lahore High Court for breach of undertaking and the order of the court, it is deemed appropriate that this letter is addressed to you for providing the medical reports as stated in the letter of the Special Medical Board within a period of 10 days of the receipt of this letter,” says the letter issued on the direction of Attorney General Khalid Javed.

"In the event of your failure, this office shall be constrained to initiate proceedings for breach of undertaking and violation of the order of the court in terms of Article 204 of the Constitution of Pakistan read with Section 3 of the Contempt of Court Ordinance, 2003," the letter further reads.

The letter informed the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly that in order to initiate the process in the light of the order of Lahore High Court dated November 16, 2019, the Government of Punjab was requested to constitute a medical board to examine the documents submitted as medical reports of Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, so that expert medical opinion regarding the physical condition of Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and his ability to travel back to Pakistan is made available.

"Accordingly, the Government of Punjab constituted a Special Medical Board (SMB) convened on 17-1-2022 and examined the documents issued by David R Lawrence, Cardiothoracic Surgeon," says the letter of the AG's office.

The letter further stated that the Special Medical Board has observed that the enclosed photocopied documents (29 pages) do not provide any information about (Nawaz Sharif) current clinical evaluation, blood reports, imaging results and any interventional procedures done so far.

"Therefore, the Special Medical Board is not in a position to render any structured advice or a considered opinion, about his current physical condition and ability to travel, to the competent authority in the light of available information," the AG office's letter stated. The AG office further wrote that that it was evident from the observations of the Special Medical Board that he has not fulfilled his obligation to provide periodical medical reports of the doctor as per your solemn undertaking and order of the court.

"You are, therefore, prima facie in violation of your undertaking and order passed by the Lahore High Court dated 16-11-2019," Khalid Khan Niazi, Secretary, AG office, wrote to Shehbaz Sharif adding that this was issued as per directions of the Attorney-General for Pakistan.

It is pertinent to mention here that on January 12, the federal government asked the Government of Punjab to constitute a medical board to examine the documents submitted as medical reports on behalf of Mian Shehbaz Sharif and Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif so that expert medical opinion regarding the physical condition of former prime minister and his ability to travel back to Pakistan was made available.

Attorney General Khalid Javed had written a letter to Zafar Nasrullah Khan, Home Secretary, Government of Punjab, to constitute a medical board to examine the medical reports submitted by Mian Shehbaz Sharif and Mian Nawaz Sharif. The AG had asked the Punjab government that in order to initiate the process of verification in the light of the order of the Lahore High Court dated 16-11-2019, the Government of Punjab is requested to constitute a medical board/committee to examine the documents submitted as medical reports on behalf of the petitioner and Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif so that expert medical opinion regarding the physical condition of Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif and his ability to travel back to Pakistan was made available.

A division bench of the Lahore High Court on November 16, 2019 had granted Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif one-time permission to travel abroad as an interim arrangement for four weeks and he was to return when certified by doctors that he had regained his health and was fit to return to Pakistan.

Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif had given an undertaking before the Lahore High Court, ensuring return of his brother Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif, within four weeks or as and when certified by doctors that he had regained his health and was fit to return to Pakistan. He had further given an undertaking to provide/send the periodical medical report of the doctor duly notarized by the Embassy or High Commission of Pakistan to the registrar of this court.

Similarly, he had also given an undertaking to Lahore High Court that if at any stage, the federal government has credible information that Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif is living abroad despite his fitness to travel, a representative from Pakistan’s High Commission or Embassy would have a right to meet with his physician(s) to verify or confirm about his health.