Nawaz Sharif has reportedly prepared his will and told jail authorities to transfer his body immediately to his family if he dies in captivity. The three-time prime minister languishes in captivity in Kotlakhpat Jail since his second conviction on December 24 last year.
Nawaz Sharif developed heart problems in Saudi Arabia during his years in exile and has undergone multiple bypass surgeries and has had multiple stents inserted in his heart. Most of these procedures were done in the United Kingdom, one of which he miraculously survived. He was tended to by his personal doctors on and off during his third term as prime minister and after he was removed from office in 2017. Recently, he has also developed some kidney problems. Sources close to the family of the former premier told The Friday Times that for last two and a half months, Sharif has had multiple angina attacks and has been complaining of pain in his left arm and jaw. He has also spoken of his kidney troubles.
Since moving to Kotlakhpat Jail, Sharif was taken to Jinnah Hospital and Services Hospital multiple times and several medical boards were constituted to assess his health. A patient was sent everywhere except a specialised institution. Why was he not taken to the Punjab Institute of Cardiology? No one knows. This is despite constant protests by his personal doctors, family and the party. As if this was not enough, his changing medical boards, too, have been more of a theatre. His two last medical boards in Services Hospital reportedly had no cardiac expert. One board was headed by a gynaecologist, and so he was kept in the gynaecological ward. His last medical board, his personal doctor says, had done the diagnosis and recommended treatment and sent it to the Punjab government and were still waiting to hear when to start Sharif’s treatment.
It is because of these shenanigans, the former prime minister feels he is being humiliated as he serves his time in jail. Out of sheer disgust, he has now refused to go to any hospital even though his daughter, mother and brother are pleading for it. On Wednesday, they tried to persuade him but in vain.
After his arrest in July last year, Sharif was released on bail in September, after Islamabad High Court suspended his conviction in the first reference. His condition continues to deteriorate after his second sentence awarded by the accountability court on December 24, coinciding with his 69th birthday.
Recently, another bench of the Islamabad High Court turned down his bail application on medical grounds. When his legal team filed an appeal in the Supreme Court and requested an early hearing owing to his deteriorating health, the registrar of the apex court rejected the request.
In this whole saga, the most worried face has been of his political heir apparent Maryam Nawaz Sharif, who has been tweeting about his deteriorating health and making appearances in jail as well as the hospital whenever Nawaz Sharif had been there.
There has been a discussion within the PML-N ranks about the health of the party leader. They appeared disturbed by the silence of the leadership on this issue. The only forum to vent their anger has been through social media, where their taunts are audible and visible.
Why is the party leadership silent?
A source close to the family has said the party leadership is divided over the issue. There are three clear camps in the leadership over the issue.
The first feels that it has been the disastrous combative posture of the former prime minister that landed him, his daughter, other members of the family and the party into their current predicament. This camp also believes that if they became too vocal, it would only spell more trouble for the Sharifs and also for them. Remember, many leaders are undergoing jail terms and are being investigated by NAB, the accountability outfit.
The second group, led by Shahbaz Sharif, is reportedly working behind the scenes to persuade those in power to create favourable conditions and to ease the sufferings of his brother.
The group close to Maryam Nawaz Sharif wants to be more vocal but is hampered by the fact that she has barricaded herself after her release in September last year. This group discusses Sharif’s sufferings on media and other forums whenever they can.
Pundits in the Margallas who have seen the recent India-Pakistan escalation and de-escalation are wondering about Sharif’s original sin. The issue of reining in non-state actors who have brought India and Pakistan to the brink of war many times was what got him dethroned in October 2016. That was the beginning of the end of Nawaz Sharif and it led to the sacking of then information minister Pervaiz Rasheed and his special assistant Tariq Fatemi.
Now, after the Pulwama attack and the IAF fighters crossing into Pakistani airspace on February 25 and Pakistani retaliation two days later, the issue of non-state actors has come to the fore again with the federal government banning several militant outfits and putting dozens behind bars. This has happened amid the recent review of the Financial Action Task Force, which expressed dissatisfaction over the implementation of the Action Plan by Pakistan. During the recent stand-off with India, when Pakistan’s civil and military leadership were reaching out to world capitals for de-escalation, the message they got was: get rid of the non-state actors.
When the miltablishment and the current PTI leadership is implementing the same agenda suggested by Nawaz Sharif, why does he and his daughter now have to suffer?
Nawaz Sharif developed heart problems in Saudi Arabia during his years in exile and has undergone multiple bypass surgeries and has had multiple stents inserted in his heart. Most of these procedures were done in the United Kingdom, one of which he miraculously survived. He was tended to by his personal doctors on and off during his third term as prime minister and after he was removed from office in 2017. Recently, he has also developed some kidney problems. Sources close to the family of the former premier told The Friday Times that for last two and a half months, Sharif has had multiple angina attacks and has been complaining of pain in his left arm and jaw. He has also spoken of his kidney troubles.
Since moving to Kotlakhpat Jail, Sharif was taken to Jinnah Hospital and Services Hospital multiple times and several medical boards were constituted to assess his health. A patient was sent everywhere except a specialised institution. Why was he not taken to the Punjab Institute of Cardiology? No one knows. This is despite constant protests by his personal doctors, family and the party. As if this was not enough, his changing medical boards, too, have been more of a theatre. His two last medical boards in Services Hospital reportedly had no cardiac expert. One board was headed by a gynaecologist, and so he was kept in the gynaecological ward. His last medical board, his personal doctor says, had done the diagnosis and recommended treatment and sent it to the Punjab government and were still waiting to hear when to start Sharif’s treatment.
It is because of these shenanigans, the former prime minister feels he is being humiliated as he serves his time in jail. Out of sheer disgust, he has now refused to go to any hospital even though his daughter, mother and brother are pleading for it. On Wednesday, they tried to persuade him but in vain.
After his arrest in July last year, Sharif was released on bail in September, after Islamabad High Court suspended his conviction in the first reference. His condition continues to deteriorate after his second sentence awarded by the accountability court on December 24, coinciding with his 69th birthday.
Recently, another bench of the Islamabad High Court turned down his bail application on medical grounds. When his legal team filed an appeal in the Supreme Court and requested an early hearing owing to his deteriorating health, the registrar of the apex court rejected the request.
In this whole saga, the most worried face has been of his political heir apparent Maryam Nawaz Sharif, who has been tweeting about his deteriorating health and making appearances in jail as well as the hospital whenever Nawaz Sharif had been there.
There has been a discussion within the PML-N ranks about the health of the party leader. They appeared disturbed by the silence of the leadership on this issue. The only forum to vent their anger has been through social media, where their taunts are audible and visible.
Why is the party leadership silent?
A source close to the family has said the party leadership is divided over the issue. There are three clear camps in the leadership over the issue.
The first feels that it has been the disastrous combative posture of the former prime minister that landed him, his daughter, other members of the family and the party into their current predicament. This camp also believes that if they became too vocal, it would only spell more trouble for the Sharifs and also for them. Remember, many leaders are undergoing jail terms and are being investigated by NAB, the accountability outfit.
The second group, led by Shahbaz Sharif, is reportedly working behind the scenes to persuade those in power to create favourable conditions and to ease the sufferings of his brother.
The group close to Maryam Nawaz Sharif wants to be more vocal but is hampered by the fact that she has barricaded herself after her release in September last year. This group discusses Sharif’s sufferings on media and other forums whenever they can.
Pundits in the Margallas who have seen the recent India-Pakistan escalation and de-escalation are wondering about Sharif’s original sin. The issue of reining in non-state actors who have brought India and Pakistan to the brink of war many times was what got him dethroned in October 2016. That was the beginning of the end of Nawaz Sharif and it led to the sacking of then information minister Pervaiz Rasheed and his special assistant Tariq Fatemi.
Now, after the Pulwama attack and the IAF fighters crossing into Pakistani airspace on February 25 and Pakistani retaliation two days later, the issue of non-state actors has come to the fore again with the federal government banning several militant outfits and putting dozens behind bars. This has happened amid the recent review of the Financial Action Task Force, which expressed dissatisfaction over the implementation of the Action Plan by Pakistan. During the recent stand-off with India, when Pakistan’s civil and military leadership were reaching out to world capitals for de-escalation, the message they got was: get rid of the non-state actors.
When the miltablishment and the current PTI leadership is implementing the same agenda suggested by Nawaz Sharif, why does he and his daughter now have to suffer?