By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan

Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is facing heart and kidney problems in prison, doctors said on Monday, advising him to shift to a hospital.

A team of doctors from Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) visited the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, where Sharif has been serving jail time in a corruption case.

Sharif refused to shift from prison, broadcaster Geo News reported.

On Sunday, a medical team from Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology (IRC) led by retired Gen. Dr Azhar Kiyani visited Sharif, and after conducting multiple tests concluded that the former premier may risk a kidney failure, due to lack of water, heat and bad conditions in prison.

In a letter sent to jail authorities, the medical team has advised Sharif to shift to a hospital for treatment.

Sharif's heartbeat was irregular due to dehydration and presence of urea in the blood could cause acute renal failure, the team said.

“Nawaz is fine except for a deranged kidney function for which he needs to be hospitalized,” Kiyani told Geo News.

President Mamnoon Hussain took notice of the reports and directed caretaker Prime Minister Nasirul Mulk to ensure proper treatment for Sharif.

Shehbaz Sharif, his younger brother and head of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party, showed serious concerns over the reports.

"I appeal to the caretaker government to shift my brother to the hospital," he said in a statement, adding that the jail authorities did not inform the family about Sharif's deteriorating health.

On July 6, a Pakistani court handed a 10-year jail term to Sharif and imposed an 8-million-pound ($10.58-million) fine in a graft case linked to the illegal purchase of four luxury apartments in London in 1993.

His daughter Maryam Nawaz and her husband Safdar Awan were sentenced to seven years and one year in jail, respectively.

The authorities arrested Sharif and his daughter at Lahore airport after return from London and sent them to Adiala Jail on July 13.