Pak Punjab govt confirms ex-PM Nawaz Sharif suffered minor heart attack

ISLAMABAD

: The health minister of Pakistan’s Punjab province revealed that former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who was diagnosed with a bleeding disorder earlier this week, experienced angina pain on Saturday morning and that he had also suffered a “minor heart attack” two days ago.

Dr Yasmeen Rashid, Punjab’s health minister, said the attack didn’t cause any damage to the 69-year-old Sharif’s heart. “Nawaz Sharif also suffered angina pain this morning which caused problems in breathing,” Rashid said. “However, his bone marrow is functioning properly, while the platelet counts in his blood are also increasing,” she said.

He has been diagnosed with acute immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), a bleeding disorder in which the immune system destroys platelets. “Nawaz Sharif’s condition has been diagnosed and his treatment is ongoing,” the minister said.

Dr Mahmood Ayaz, the head of the government-constituted team treating Sharif, said his patient was being given blood thinners following Saturday morning’s angina attack. “He neither needed to be put on oxygen or ventilator nor was that done,” Dr Ayaz said, adding, “We are trying to improve Nawaz Sharif’s condition.”

On Friday, the

Lahore high court

had granted Sharif bail on medical grounds in a corruption case related to a sugar mill owned by his family. His release, however, hinges on the verdict of the Islamabad high court which is hearing a separate corruption case against him. His brother, Shahbaz Sharif, who had filed an application for the release on bail of his elder brother in the

Lahore

HC, also filed a petition in the Islamabad HC seeking suspension of Nawaz’s sentence in the Al-Azizia case, related to properties in Saudi Arabia, and bail on medical grounds.