Nawaz Sharif likely to stay out of jail for more time after kidney stones report

Pakistan's jailed former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was diagnosed with kidney stones as he underwent various medical tests at a hospital here after being shifted from the Kot Lakhpat jail. Sharif, who is serving a seven-year jail term over graft charges, was shifted to the Services Hospital here from Kot Lakhpat jail on Saturday and underwent various medical tests to ascertain the severity of different diseases he is suffering from.

Sharif underwent CT scan and ultrasound to assess the level of his kidney problem while blood tests were conducted to profile his heart issues, a hospital official said on Monday. "The tests have detected a stone in Sharif’s left kidney," said Dr Mahmood Ayaz, adding the medical board will examine the test reports and prescribe medicines.

To a question about his duration of stay in the hospital, he said: "We cannot say anything about the duration of his stay in the Services Hospital till the result of all tests come and his treatment begins in the light of that." Strict security measures have been put in place in and around the hospital where Sharif has been given a VIP room.

The Punjab government had directed the hospital management for a “detailed examination/investigation/management” of Sharif in the “minimum required period”. However, the hospital authorities are not yet sure for how many days he will be kept at the health facility.

Punjab Information Minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan says Sharif will be sent back to jail once his health improves. “He is being provided with the best facilities in every way. He has also been given his favourite dishes in jail,” said the minister.

Meanwhile, the Express News reported that Sharif did not suffer a cardiac arrest in recent days. "Sharif underwent a troponin test which confirmed that he did not suffer a heart attack in recent days," the daily quoted hospital sources as saying.

Earlier, the six-member special medical board that examined Sharif in jail last week, said: “In view of Sharif’s multiple co-morbidities (DM, chronic kidney disease, CVA, cardiac arrhythmias) and complex cardiac history with multiple cardiac procedures with complications abroad, it is advised that he be admitted for further investigations/management in a hospital where multidisciplinary care is available.”

The three-time prime minister, who is serving seven-year imprisonment in Al-Azizia Mills corruption case, was earlier rushed to Lahore's Punjab Institute of Cardiology after he complained of heart-related complications. He was later discharged from the hospital and taken back to jail following the medical tests. Sharif's party PML-N has been demanding that Sharif should be shifted to London for better treatment.

"Sharif always had treatment in London as he is best managed there," PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said. Sharif has been behind the bars since December 24, 2018, after an accountability court convicted him in one of the three corruption cases filed under the direction of the Supreme Court.

The Al-Azizia Steel Mill case was about setting up steel mills in Saudi Arabia allegedly with corruption money. Three corruption cases - Avenfield properties case, Flagship investment case and Al-Azizia steel mills case - were launched against the Sharif family by the National Accountability Bureau in 2017 following a judgment by the Supreme Court that disqualified Sharif in the Panama Papers case in 2017.

(With inputs from agencies.)