LAHORE, Aug 30: Poet Ahmad Rahi’s condition has slightly improved but he is still critical.

The legendary lyricist has been suffering from paralysis for the last seven months.

Mrs Rahi told Dawn on Friday that her husband was still on respirator but now he has started recognizing close relatives and friends.

She said Rahi had to be shifted to a private hospital when doctors at the Mayo Hospital administered a wrong injection to him and his condition started deteriorating.

She regretted that despite her repeated appeals, the authorities concerned did not arrange a room at any government hospital for her husband. “No specialist doctor visited my husband at the Mayo,” she said.

She said the ministers for health and law and the information secretary inquired after the health of her husband at the private hospital on Friday.

She appealed to Rahi’s fans to pray for his early recovery.—Zaheer Siddiqui