Specialist doctors available in jail to treat Nawaz round-the-clock: LHC told

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) was informed on Tuesday that specialist doctors were available round-the-clock for medical treatment of former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif in jail.

The statement was made by a law officer on behalf of the Punjab government before Justice Mamoon Rashid Sheikh, who was hearing a petition filed by Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz seeking directions for the provincial authorities to allow her to visit her father (Nawaz Sharif) twice a week in the jail.

Besides submitting a reply, the law officer submitted that all sorts of medical facilities were being provided to the former prime minister and, after every eight hours, he was examined medically.

The Home Department and Kot Lakhpat Jail officials apprised the court that Nawaz's personal physician Dr Muhammad Adnan was never stopped from meeting Nawaz Sharif but he could not be allowed to meet him independently, as per jail regulations.

They further submitted that Dr Adnan could meet Nawaz Sharif along with other family members only once a week in the presence of the jail doctors. However, Dr Adnan indulged in politics by talking to the media and giving political statements, they added.

To which, the petitioner's counsel denied the claims while pleading for special treatment for Nawaz Sharif being the former prime minister.

The officials said there were only two categories of prisoners, ordinary and Class-B. Nawaz Sharif had been given Class-B category and the best possible facilities were being given to him, they added.

Subsequently, in the light of officials' statement, the court restrained Dr Adnan from giving any statement to the media while allowing him to meet Nawaz Sharif along with other family members once a week.

The court observed that the issue of allowing the petitioner to meet her father twice a week would be taken up after the summer vacation, while adjourning the hearing.

Maryam Nawaz, in her petition, had submitted that her father was suffering from various ailments and he was lodged in Kot Lakhpat Jail after being convicted by an accountability court. She submitted that she, along with Dr Muhammad Adnan, had been regularly visiting Nawaz Sharif as per schedule given by the jail authorities.

She claimed that the jail authorities were now not allowing Dr Adnan to meet Nawaz Sharif, who  in view of serious ailments, required frequent visits of his personal physician so that his medicine could be adjusted.

She pleaded the court to direct the provincial authorities for allowing her along with Dr Adnan to visit the former premier twice a week in the jail.