LONDON: As former prime minister and Pakis­tan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif continues to undergo a range of tests for his cardiac and haematology complications, his family on Wednesday remained anxious about the results of one specific medical report.

“The most important right now is his bone marrow test,” his son Hussein Nawaz said to reporters. “My request is that everyone prays for his health,” he added.

Bone marrow testing can reveal whether an individual’s bone marrow is healthy and making normal amounts of blood cells. Doctors use these procedures to diagnose and monitor blood and marrow diseases, including some cancers. Nawaz’s low platelet count condition, known as thrombocytopenia, has prompted doctors to test his bone marrow sample.

Hussein added that Nawaz’s treatment and diagnosis are ongoing, and that doctors in the United Kingdom have a standard process they follow prior to diagnosis and hospitalisation.

“Personally, I feel he should go to one specialist hospital in America to have his multiple ailments treated. I have spoken to Mian sb about this several times. But it is premature for him to decide anything right now because the tests are still ongoing here in London,” Hussein added.

Last week, Nawaz Sharif’s personal physician Dr Adnan Khan said that he will be hospitalised in the coming days to undergo an angiogram which will be followed by a heart procedure.

He added that after the angiogram, it is likely that the doctor will suggest a procedure for the heart and carotid artery. However, Dr Khan said Mr Sharif’s immune disorder must be addressed before any procedure.

Mr Sharif arrived in London on Nov 19 along with his brother Shahbaz Sharif after the government and courts granted him permission to travel abroad on medical grounds. Mr Sharif and members of his family have consulted with several doctors, including those who specialise in cardiac issues and immune disorders. He arrived in London three weeks after he was granted bail by the Islamabad High Court in the Al-Azizia case on medical grounds.

Shahbaz at High Commission

Former Punjab CM and PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif went to the Pakistani High Commission in London earlier this week to submit a request for the courts to excuse his personal appearance during the ongoing NAB cases against him.

“I am in London to be with my brother Nawaz Sharif while he undergoes treatment. I am also undergoing my own health check-ups while I am here. On this basis, I have made a request to the court to excuse my absence,” Shahbaz said.

He added that his lawyer Mohammad Nawaz Chaudhry, who has been given power of attorney, will represent him.

The National Accountability Bureau is building a case against Shahbaz Sharif in an assets beyond means reference. Besides the Ashiyana scheme, Shahbaz Sharif has also been indicted in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case.

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2019