ISLAMABAD: Former Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) chairman Zafar Hijazi was discharged from Pims on Monday, and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) took him into custody.

Mr Hijazi’s pre-arrest bail was rejected on July 21 on charges of tampering with the record of a sugar mill owned by the Sharif family. Later he was shifted to Pims for medical check-up.

Mr Hijazi is diabetic, having high blood pressure and one of his kidneys was transplanted around a decade back.

The hospital management constituted a five-member medical board headed by Cardiologist Dr Naeem Malik, which thoroughly checked Mr Hijazi and advised different tests. The renal function test report of the accused was not normal as his creatinine levels were high.

While doing Exercise Tolerance Test (ETT), the patient’s heartbeat went abnormal and he had to be shifted to the CCU. A doctor, requesting anonymity, said Mr Hijazi’s condition started improving on Sunday and by Monday he was much better.

“The patient refused to undergo angiography because it could was not advisable with only one functioning kidney. So initially he was shifted from CCU to a private ward and then discharged,” he said.

Pims Vice Chancellor Dr Javed Akram told Dawn that Mr Hijazi was discharged after his condition improved and he was handed over to the FIA,” he said.

Replying to a question, Mr Akram said Mr Hijazi’s angiography might be held after a week.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2017