Unstable health condition stalls Nawaz's shifting.

Byline: Zulqernain Tahir and Malik Asad

LAHORE/ISLAMABAD -- A team of doctors spent another day trying to figure out the cause of a sudden drop in the platelet count of Nawaz Sharif, who had been admitted to Lahore Services Hospital a week ago, amid speculation that he might have to be taken to some other health facility within the country or abroad for better treatment.

However, senior leadership of his party ruled out any such possibility, arguing that no decision could be taken before seeing any improvement in his condition.

Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) will on Tuesday resume hearing of the petition seeking suspension of sentence handed down to him in Al-Azizia reference, as the interim bail granted to the former prime minister expires on Tuesday (today).

He has been under treatment at the Services Hospital since Oct 21. His platelet count hovered around 28,000 - some 122,000 less than the minimum normal level - on Monday. 'Despite doctors' best efforts, it has not yet been diagnosed why Nawaz Sharif's platelets drastically drop to dangerous level,' his personal physician Dr Adnan Khan tweeted.

IHC to hear NAB, Punjab CM over petition seeking suspension of Azizia case verdict as interim bail of ex-PM expires

The doctors' panel is faced with a tough task. They are striving to create a balance between the doses for increasing his platelets and the medicines being given for his heart condition. According to the medical board, headed by Services Hospital principal Dr Mahmood Ayaz, the patient's platelets were fluctuating owing to the medicines being administered to him for his cardiac disease.

'The diagnosis is yet to be ascertained,' he said, adding he had severe atherosclerotic 'coronary and carotid artery disease' with co-morbidities (HTN, DM, CKD) and because of subsequent serious effects of treatment he had developed NSTEMI (Non-ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction); being managed on ACS protocol.

There were rumours that his family might press for shifting him to the Sharif Medical City - close to his Jati Umra residence - despite government spokesperson's assertion that Nawaz Sharif was happy with the treatment he was getting from the 10-doctor panel at Services Hospital. Such a move, however, could help the government pass on the sensitive responsibility of his treatment to his family.

Regarding his shifting to any other health facility within the country or abroad, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz secretary general Ahsan Iqbal...