LAHORE: Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz, who tested positive for COVID-19 last week, was taken to Jinnah Hospital from Kot Lakhpat Jail for a medical checkup after he suffered chest pain on Friday.

Medical Superintendent of Jinnah Hospital, Yahya Sultan said that Hamza was sent back to the prison after his tests were conducted. He said the PML-N leader underwent a CT scan and other tests at the hospital, adding that reports will be available within the next few days.

When contacted Punjab Inspector General of Prisons Mirza Shahid Saleem Baig to ask about as to why the PML-N was taken to Jinnah Hospital for a medical checkup despite the fact that a state-of-the-art hospital facility is already in place at the Kot Lakhpat Prison, the IG told Business Recorder that after Hamza suffered chest pain, they decided to take him to Jinnah Hospital without compromising on his health.

He said the medics at the Jinnah Hospital conducted some X-rays of the Punjab's opposition leader. To another query, the IG was of the view that the hospital facility at the Kot Lakhpat Jail was better than that of the Jinnah Hospital. Efforts (via calls and messages) were made to contact Deputy Superintendent Kot Lakhpat Jail, Zaheer Virk but he was not available for comments.

Earlier, the PML-N had accused the government of playing politics over the health of Hamza Shehbaz after he contracted COVID-19 during incarceration at the aforementioned jail. The party had demanded of the government to shift Hamza to a hospital till his recovery from coronavirus.

Since June last year, the provincial opposition leader is in the National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) custody and is being probed regarding alleged money laundering and possessing assets beyond means cases against him and the Sharif family.

On Sunday, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif while confirming on social media that his son was infected with the coronavirus during the incarceration had alleged that Hamza is now "bravely fighting political victimisation by the NAB-Niazi nexus after facing the era of military dictator Pervaiz Musharraf.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020