Nawaz still has ‘residual angina symptoms’

Medical report submitted to LHC says former PM requires follow-up investigations

Ahead of his likely return to Pakistan later this month, PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif’s medical report was submitted to the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday.

The report, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, submitted by Lawyer Amjad Pervez stated that Nawaz had some residual anginal symptoms which would require frequent follow-up investigations in London and Pakistan. Angina is a common symptom of coronary heart disease, which develops when the arteries of the heart become partially or totally blocked.

In 2019, the LHC had allowed Nawaz, who was serving a seven-year jail term, to travel abroad on medical grounds initially for a period of four weeks.

Read: PML-N snubs talk of Nawaz’s return delay

However, Nawaz did not return since then and was declared a proclaimed offender in various graft cases.

The fresh 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, stated that he “followed this patient with previous CABG (coronary artery bypass grafting), multiple angioplasties and ablations throughout his stay in London in the past years”.

“We first tried medical treatment, strengthening his antianginal therapy. His persistent angina symptoms and the restrictions imposed by Covid-19 epidemics precluded a safe return of Mr Sharif to Pakistan,” Mario said. “When his symptoms worsened and a large area of ischaemia was confirmed in Rubidium PET myocardial perfusion scan, we decided to repeat an angioplasty.

“The treatment was performed in November 2022 and targeted an occluded left circumflex artery. It required rotational atherectomy, intravascular lithotripsy, multiple stents deployed and expanded under IVUS guidance.

“Mr Sharif still has some residual angina 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.”