LAHORE - The Lahore High Court (LHC) was informed on Tuesday 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 in the court of Justice Mamoon Rashid Sheikh.
The court was hearing a petition filed by 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.
Maryam wants meeting with father twice a week
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, 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.
Courts orders action under law on plea for Salman’s
treatment in hospital
An accountability court on Tuesday ordered jail authorities to taking action in accordance with the law on an application for treatment of PML-N leader Khawaja Salman in hospital.
The former minister was on judicial remand in connection with Paragon City scam in a hospital.
Accountability Court Judge Syed Jawadul Hassan conducted the proceedings on the application filed by Camp Jail authorities and disposed of the matter while passing the directions.
The jail authorities submitted: “Salman remained in a hospital from June 18 to 25 for medical treatment for being ill. The doctors had advised more medical check-ups and tests, which were not possible in the jail, they added. The court was requested to issue directions for shifting him to a hospital for treatment.
Former railways minister Khawaja Saad Rafique and his brother former provincial minister Khawaja Salman Rafique were arrested on Dec 11, 2018 after a Lahore High Court (LHC) division bench dismissed their pre-arrest bail petitions in Paragon City scam.
After remaining in custody of National Accountability Bureau for few weeks, the accountability court had sent Khawaja brothers to jail on judicial remand and now they would be produced before the court on July 11. NAB had filed a reference against Khawaja brothers submitting that they launched Paragon City housing project through their “benamidars”. The Paragon City was an illegal society and not approved by the Lahore Development Authority, it added. It further alleged that the suspects along with other accomplices cheated public at large and obtained illegal financial benefits from the funds of society. It is pertinent to mention here that a LHC bench had also dismissed post arrest bail petitions of Khawaja brother on June 18.
