Shahbaz Sharif visits politcal rival Imran Khan in hospital
May 08, 2013
Shahbaz arrived here at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital to inquire after the health of his main electoral rival, where he was under intensive medical care, sources said.
Shahbaz, who leaves no opportunity to open fire on his main political rival go to waste, wished a retired hurt cricketer-turned politician to get well soon. A shaken but not stirred Imran Khan thanked him for this gesture of goodwill.
Advising a three-week rest, the doctors have given a very optimistic prognosis of Khan’s recovery.
Earlier, right after his fall, television footage showed Khan bleeding from the head as he was carried by aides through the crowd at the event in the country's second largest city, Lahore.
The 60-year-old, who has undertaken a punishing schedule of daily rallies but who is known for his physical fitness, tumbled along with several of his staff, seemingly after one of them lost his balance.
Khan was being lifted on a fork-lifter with five people but lost his balance and fell when a sixth one tried to climb up. Khan hit the lifter before falling to the ground.
"Imran Khan has one head injury and two spinal cord fractures," Doctor Faisal Sultan, chief executive officer of Shaukat Khanum Hospital told reporters in a late night statement.
"But he is stable. He is conscious and he is recognising people," the doctor said.
He will be kept under observation for a day and on Wednesday a team of doctors will further examine him and suggest the future course, he added.
"The other three men who fell with Imran Khan are very much OK. They were not admitted," Khan's spokesman Zubair Niazi told media.
In a televised statement from his hospital bed Imran Khan urged people to vote for his party.
"I did whatever I could for this country. Now remember 11th May, come out and vote for PTI without considering its candidates, just vote for PTI and its ideology only to end politics of personalities and communities," he said.
People at the rally venue, where thousands had gathered, expressed sadness.
"Passion and love for Imran Khan brought all these people here. We are still here, all we can do is pray now," said a PTI supporter.
Television images showed Khan being transported on a stretcher, his head swathed in bandages.
Hundreds of well-wishers and party supporters gathered outside the hospital, chanting "Long Live Imran Khan", an eyewitness said.
Khan's main rival, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who is tipped to win the election, conveyed his sympathies, his Pakistan Muslim League-N party spokesman Siddiqul Farooq said.
Later Sharif, addressing a rally in Rawalpindi, announced the cancellation of campaign activities on Wednesday.
PTI, in a Facebook posting, announced the suspension of election rallies scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday.
