LAHORE: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s cardiac surgery has been postponed due to Covid-19, says his daughter Maryam Nawaz.

In a tweet on Friday, Ms Nawaz said: “The surgery of Nawaz Sharif has been postponed because of coronavirus. Doctors say Mian sahib is a high-risk patient and all precautions have to be observed. His treatment continues and he needs your prayers.”

Earlier, Mr Sharif’s personal physician Dr Adnan Khan had said: “As a high-risk patient, former PM Nawaz Sharif’s Cardiac Catheterization/Coronary Intervention was postponed to be rescheduled at a later date amidst COVID19 Pandemic, as Public/Private Hospitals limited their admissions/procedures. Presently managed on aggressive medical therapy.”

Last week, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had announced moving an accountability court to declare Mr Sharif a proclaimed offender in a land case involving Jang Group’s editor-in-chief Mir Shakilur Rehman.

NAB has also issued arrest warrants for Mr Sharif for not joining investigations after being summoned time and again for recording his statement in the case. NAB investigators also sent a questionnaire to Mr Sharif, asking him to record his statement, but he did not appear before the investigation team for the purpose.

Mr Sharif is in the United Kingdom for his medical treatment, whereas Mr Rehman is in NAB custody on judicial remand.

Meanwhile, PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif said the government’s announcement of reduction in prices of petroleum products was not enough, saying these should have been reduced by at least Rs50 in the light of a massive fall in the international oil market.

Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2020