LAHORE: The Punjab government has allowed shifting of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif from the central jail, Lahore, to Jinnah Hospital which besides other specialities has a cardiac treatment facility.

The jail authorities have, however, decided to shift the high-profile prisoner to hospital on Friday (today) owing to security reasons.

The Punjab home department has declared the private ward of Jinnah Hospital a sub-jail for the duration of Nawaz Sharif’s stay there.

The former prime minister was shifted to Kot Lakhpat jail on Feb 7 after having treatment at Services Hospital for five days.

A (third) special medical board had earlier examined Mr Sharif at Services Hospital and on Feb 5 unanimously opined that the patient, 69 years of age, was a well-established case of coronary artery disease with recently documented reversible ischemia on thallium scan and having recurrent angina, which was his primary problem.

If in the opinion of expert cardiologists it is considered necessary, the medical board had recommended, the previous cardiac history and present investigations might be further discussed with his primary treating cardiologist.

Consequently, the PML-N supremo’s personal physician Dr Adnan Khan had requested the Punjab government to provide round-the-clock expert cardiac care to Mr Sharif at a facility where cardiology intervention and multidisciplinary backup would be available.

“It is requested that considering the serious concerns of former prime minister’s medical condition, in particular unstable cardiac disease, the final recommendations of the Special Medical Board may be executed at priority,” Dr Khan had urged.

In its letter on Thursday, the Punjab home department accorded sanction for “shifting of high-profile NAB convicted prisoner Nawaz Sharif from central jail to Jinnah Hospital, Lahore, for medical treatment for minimum required period”.

The home department ordered that foolproof security arrangements should be made during Mr Sharif’s shifting and subsequent stay in Jinnah Hospital.

Published in Dawn, February 15th, 2019