LAHORE: The Punjab government on Saturday formed yet another medical board to examine Nawaz Sharif and declared that it would implement its recommendations even if it advised hospitalisation.

Mr Sharif’s personal cardiologist Dr Adnan Khan, however, questioned the formation of the third special medical board. The new medical board comprises two brigadiers, a classified cardiologist and a classified electro-physiologist of the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC), Rawalpindi, two assistant professors from the Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology (RIC), and two professors of the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC).

When asked if the recently constituted board of the Allama Iqbal Medical College (AIMC) had advised hospitalisation of the former prime minister, Punjab Information Minister Fayaz-ul-Hasan Chohan said: “There was nothing serious about the health of Nawaz Sharif. That is why he was not shifted to hospital. Now to have a larger picture, the new special board is constituted and its report will be implemented.”

He told Dawn that like the previous board’s recommendations, the report of the larger special board, too, “even if it recommends hospitalisation of Mr Sharif”, would be implemented. He further said the other side (Sharif family) would hopefully also accept its report.

Personal cardiologist questions the constitution of new board

The information minister said “best” health facilities were being provided to the former premier and there had been “no political victimisation”. He added, “Maryam Nawaz and company are only politicising his health issue.”

The supreme leader of the main opposition party “should not eat meat in jail and he would feel better”, he remarked.

Dr Adnan, however, said: “Since day one I have been mentioning Nawaz Sharif is having frequent episodes of angina, which was confirmed by Thallium scan. The government functionaries kept denying. What’s the logic of a larger high-profile medical board if there is no health issue ... proves otherwise.”

The ex-PM’s daughter tweeted: “Not one but (three) independent medical boards with top specialists on them constituted by the government itself have all examined him and raised the alarm. All three. The risk is huge.”

While Mr Sharif was taken to the PIC once for examination and test, two special medical boards comprising doctors of the AIMC and the PIC have examined him in recent days. The AIMC board prescribed hospitalisation, while the PIC suggested “aggressive medication” to avoid heart-related complications.

The Usman Buzdar administration has formed the third board after ‘conflicting’ recommendations from the two special boards.

The larger medical board comprises Dr Hamid Sharif Khan and Dr Mohammad Talha bin Nazir of the RIC, Prof Dr Shahid Hameed and Dr Sajjad Ahmad of the PIC, Brig Abdul Hameed Siddique, classified cardiologist of the AFIC, and Brig Azmat Hayat, classified electro-physiologist of the AFIC and National Institute of Heart Diseases, Rawalpindi.

Mr Chohan said this board would soon examine Mr Sharif in jail and the government would implement its recommendation.

Mr Sharif is serving a seven-year imprisonment in Al-Azizia Steel Mills case.

Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2019