The cardiologist who has authored a recent report on the health condition of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif has indirectly recommended that his patient should get married as he suffers from “broken heart syndrome”, according to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s top political aide.
Nawaz has been living in London in self-exile ever since he was allowed by a court to leave the country for medical treatment on a four-week bail in 2019. Though he has repeatedly pledged to come back, he never indicated when he planned to return.
The three-page medical report – authored by Dr Fayaz Shawl, an American cardiologist of Indian origin – was submitted in the Lahore High Court on Tuesday. It advises Sharif against undertaking any travel “without undergoing a definitive treatment in London”.
“If he [Sharif] returns to solitary confinement, he may develop what we call the takotsubo syndrome due to stressful environment” and it could have “devastating consequences”, Dr Shawl warned in the report.
Taking to Twitter Dr Shahbaz Gill, the special assistant to the prime minister on political communication, derided the report saying that besides other things the doctor has indirectly recommended that Sharif should get married.Gill shared a screenshot from a medical website, www.svhhearthealth.com, which says: “takotsubo cardiomyopathy, or "broken heart syndrome", is when the heart muscle becomes suddenly stunned or weakened. It mostly occurs following severe emotional or physical stress. The condition is temporary and most people recover within two months.”
Taking a jibe at the report, Gill wrote: “Dr Sahib [Fayaz Shawl] has indirectly tried to recommend that Nawaz Sharif should get married” as he suffers from broken heart syndrome possibly caused by the demise of his wife, Begum Kulsoom Nawaz, who passed away on September 11, 2018 in London after a long battle with cancer.
Gill also shared another screenshot from www.health.harvard.edu which states that takotsubo cardiomyopathy “occurs almost exclusively in women”. Gill wrote: “According to Nawaz Sharif's doctor, now he has contracted the diseases that are exclusive to women. It seems that Nawaz Sharif is about to make a big splash.”
Gill questioned the credibility of the report saying why an American doctor of Pakistani origin was called to London to examine Sharif.
“All cardiologists in the UK have died. That is why Nawaz Sharif called a Pakistani-American doctor to London, had himself examined and then had a letter [medical report] of his choice written by him,” he further wrote on the microblogging site. “Your [Sharif’s] shenanigans and tricks won’t work anymore. Lies upon lies,” he wrote.
In another tweet, Gill corrected himself saying that Dr Fayaz Shawl is actually of Indian origin. “Does like always this yarn has also been spun by India? This Dr Sahib is originally from India,” he wrote and shared link to an Indian news website story about a March 2011 brawl between Bollywood actor Priyanka Chopra and Dr Shawl onboard a flight.
“According to Priyanka Chopra, he [Dr Shawl] is also fond of making films,” Gill wrote.Making fun of the report, PM Imran’s aide further stated that Dr Shawl forgot to mention that “in order to keep the patient’s heart healthy, he should be immediately made prime minister; given two-thirds majority; 10 expensive apartments in London; and permission to humiliate security agencies and judges”.
Meanwhile, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, while dubbing the Nawaz’s medical report “bogus,” has called upon the judiciary to take notice of such “illegal acts” to restore prestige of the country.
“An interesting medical report of Nawaz Sharif has been submitted in the high court today. In this report, Doctor Shawl, who lives in Washington, said that Nawaz Sharif, who resides in London, is under extreme stress due to Covid-19 and his medical condition does not allow him to travel to Pakistan,” he said while talking to the media persons.
He said such ‘dubious’ medical reports, authored by Nawaz Sharif’s personal physician since 2004, were only aimed at making mockery of the laws of Pakistan and judicial system. Submission of such reports would not help the PML-N leader to fulfil his objectives, he added.
“In my opinion, the easiest way for Nawaz Sharif is to return the money looted from people of Pakistan and then stay in London,” he noted.
He said ironically, there was only one missing thing in the report that it did not advise Nawaz Sharif to only walk in London’s Hyde Park.
The minister urged the Sharif family to abstain from preparing and submitting fake medical reports in the court and return looted money to the people of Pakistan.
State Minister for Information Farrukh Habib also took an exception of the latest development, saying the medical report contradicted the claims of the PML-N leader that Nawaz was returning to Pakistan.
“While the report states that Nawaz Sharif is afraid of going to jail,” he added.