ISLAMABAD: The Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC) submitted to the special court on Tuesday a medical report of former president retired General Pervez Musharraf who is facing a treason trial.
The former military ruler had suffered heart problems on his way to the special court on Jan 2.
While exempting Gen Musharraf from appearance on Monday, the court had ordered the AFIC to submit the medical report on Tuesday.
According to the report signed by AFIC commandant and executive director Maj Gen S.M. Imran Majeed, the former army chief is suffering from triple-vessel coronary artery disease and eight other diseases.
Dr Ihsanul Haq, a specialist at Shifa International Hospital who has gone through the report, told Dawn that the coronary artery disease, commonly known as heart disease, may require Gen Musharraf to undergo a bypass. However, other health problems like sleeplessness, high cholesterol, frozen shoulder (left), osteoarthritis (left knee joint), spinal and neck osteoarthritis, prostate hyperplasia and biceps tendinitis relate to old-age.
Dr Haq said that since Gen Musharraf had been in the Special Service Group, he was susceptible to these problems after leaving the hectic fitness exercise.
The medical report said: “He (Gen Musharraf) is presently undergoing treatment for the above mentioned disease (coronary artery). Coronary angiography is required to optimise the management and to ascertain the possibility of further interventions, like coronary artery bypass surgery.
“Gen Pervez Musharraf, 70 years of age, was brought to the emergency department of this hospital (AFIC) with uneasiness in the chest, sweating and discomfort in left arm. He is a smoker. His father died of coronary artery disease.
“The calcium score in the triple-vessel coronary artery is more than the normal range, but its exact condition can only be assessed after the coronary angiography.”
Medical experts and specialists in leading private and government hospitals are of the opinion that had Gen Musharraf’s condition been as critical as mentioned in the report, AFIC consultants should have conducted a coronary angiography hours after initial tests.
Dr Shahbaz Ahmed Qureshi, head of cardiology department at the Federal Government Services Hospital, said further tests would clarify the picture but apparently Gen Musharraf needed proper treatment to avoid any cardiac problem. After conducting a coronary angiography, the doctors will recommend bypass surgery or angioplasty of Gen Musharraf. “The facility is available in the country, but it is the right of a patient to seek second and third opinion,” Dr Qureshi said.
The medical report was submitted to district and sessions judge Abdul Ghani Soomro, registrar of the special court, by an AFIC official during the mid-break (after 11am). After the break, Mr Soomro presented the report to the three-judge court comprising Justice Faisal Arab of the Sindh High Court, Justice Tahira Safdar of the Balochistan High Court and Justice Yawar Ali of the Lahore High Court.
The lawyers of Gen Musharraf appeared to be unaware of the condition of their client as they also sought a copy of the medical report. Usually, such reports are submitted by lawyers.
The court will hear arguments on the medical report from the prosecution and defence teams on Thursday.
