Lahore: As the date of return of former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif drew closer, a medical report on his health on Friday showed that he still had “some residual anginal symptoms” which would require “frequent follow-up investigations” in London and Pakistan.
Nawaz, 73, is expected to return to Pakistan on October 21 after about four years of self-imposed exile in London where he has been living since November 2019 when he went there for medical treatment.
A medical report signed by Professor Carlo Di Mario, a consultant cardiologist at the Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals, part of Guy’s and St Thomas’ National Health Service Foundation Trust, was submitted to the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday.
Mario said that he had previously followed Nawaz who had previously undergone coronary artery bypass grafting, multiple angioplasties and ablations throughout his stay in London.
“We first tried medical treatment, strengthening his antianginal therapy. His persistent anginal symptoms and restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 epidemic precluded a safe return of (Nawaz) to Pakistan,” he said.
The cardiologist said that when Nawaz’s symptoms “worsened”, another angioplasty was conducted in November 2022 which targeted an “occluded left circumflexed artery”.
“It required rotational atherectomy, intravascular lithotripsy, and multiple stents deployed and expanded under IVUS (Intravascular ultrasound) guidance.
“(Nawaz) Sharif still has some residual anginal symptoms due to diffuse distal coronary disease in a patient with diabetes and multiple other comorbidities that would require frequent follow-up investigations both in London and Pakistan,” he said.
The development comes ahead of Sharif’s planned return to Pakistan, which, according to Shehbaz, is on October 21.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Party leaders say Nawaz will secure protective bail ahead of his scheduled arrival and he will surrender to court in the Al Azizia corruption case after addressing the nation at a rally at the Minar-e-Pakistan, Lahore, on October 21.
The PML-N supreme leader had left for London in November 2019 on medical grounds’ after the Lahore High Court granted him a four-week bail.
He had been serving a seven-year jail term at Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore in the Al-Azizia Mills corruption case before securing bail for his treatment abroad.
PML-N president and former premier Shehbaz Sharif said on Friday that all preparations have been finalised to welcome his elder brother back to Lahore.
He said Nawaz would return and steer the country out of the economic crisis. He said Nawaz will be PML-N’s candidate for the slot of prime minister.
The Election Commission of Pakistan has announced the end of January 2024 for holding of general elections.
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