ISLAMABAD:
The office of Attorney General of Pakistan Khalid Jawed Khan on Wednesday wrote a letter to Dr David Lawrence, a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon who is treating former premier Nawaz Sharif in London, seeking doctors appointed by the Pakistani government to examine his medical record.
In the letter, the AGP’s office noted that the recent report submitted by the former convicted prime minister’s lawyer to the Lahore High Court must have been written by Dr Fayaz Shawl, director of the intervention cardiology department at Adventist Healthcare White Oak Medical Centre in the US and clinical professor of medicine at George Washington University, during or after his trip to London.
“All clinical tests, laboratory reports, interventional procedures, if any, physical examinations must have been conducted in the United Kingdom” since Dr Lawrence is his primary doctor,” the letter added.
The AGP’s office stated that the doctors nominated by the government intended to meet him to confirm Nawaz’s health condition.
“As observed by the SMB [special medical board], doctor(s) would need to examine all the relevant medical record including current evaluation, blood reports, imaging results, and any interventional procedures done so far, as, without examination of medical reports, the doctor(s) cannot form any medical opinion nor verify/confirm about the health status of Mian Nawaz Sharif and his ability to travel back to Pakistan.”
It further asked Dr Lawrence to confirm to the AGP office or the Pakistan High Commission in London about his response to the letter.
“You are therefore requested to initiate and confirm to the High Commission of Pakistan at London or the office of the Attorney General of Pakistan, the date, time, and venue when the doctor(s) can meet you and examine the medical record, etc. of Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif.”
It added that this meeting or examination of the medical record might be scheduled for a date of your convenience between February 22 and March 13 2022.
“The intimation may be made four days before the desired date fixed by you,” it added.
The letter pointed out that the foregoing exercise was being conducted in light of the undertakings submitted by the PML-N supremo and his brother, party president Shehbaz Sharif, and the order passed by the Lahore High Court on November 16, 2019.
In another letter, the AGP’s office said the High Commission of Pakistan in London might nominate a focal person to coordinate a meeting and examination of Nawaz’ s medical record by Pakistani doctors.
In November 2019, Nawaz, who is convicted in a corruption case, left the country after he signed a court-approved undertaking, saying that he would return to the country within four weeks.
Read Issues to bring back Nawaz ‘largely settled’
Shehbaz too had signed an undertaking, that stated that he would “ensure the return” of his brother “within four weeks or on certification by doctors that he has regained his health and is fit to return back to Pakistan”.
Recently, a special medical board formed by the Punjab government had again rejected Nawaz’s fresh medical report, deeming it to be “incomplete”.
The board observed that the document was incomplete because it did not include a single report from any credible laboratory or health facility to substantiate what Dr Shawl had stated about Nawaz’s health.
The board informed the Punjab Health Department in writing about its findings on Nawaz’s report.
Earlier this month, the AGP had written a letter to the Punjab Home Department, seeking a medical board’s opinion on the former premier’s health condition.
The provincial government was requested to place the January 28 document, issued by Dr Shawl from Maryland, US, before a medical board with a request to examine it and evaluate the “known and reported facts and public activities” of the former premier to form an opinion.
In August last year, the doctors treating Nawaz in London had restrained him from travelling and visiting public places. They had advised him to stay very close to the healthcare facilities where he had been receiving his treatment.
This was the gist of a three-page medical report – signed by Dr Lawrence – which the lawyer for Nawaz had submitted to the LHC.
The report was submitted a week after the UK government had rejected Nawaz’s request to extend his visa.
Last month, the Punjab government had formed a special board to examine the medical report of the former premier signed by Dr Lawrence and give its expert opinion on the patient’s physical condition and his ability to travel back to Pakistan.
However, the board members rejected the report, claiming that they could not give a structured opinion on Nawaz’s condition or ability to travel without details of his current clinical evaluation, blood reports, imaging results and procedures.
In January 2020, the Punjab government had rejected the medical report of the former prime minister, claiming it was prepared by a private UK doctor instead of his general physician in London.
It observed that the medical report sent by the private doctor lacked details about Nawaz’s treatment about his blood platelet count.