-- 'Ek Brahmin nay kaha hay kay ye saal achcha hay'?
He said they were overwhelmed by a tide of sincere prayers offered by millions of people in Pakistan and the Muslim world for the recovery of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister's illness also forged unity among the whole nation and the political parties, he said. "It's proper time for all to leave behind the differences and work for the progress and prosperity of the country."
To a query, the chief minister said the Prime Minister would soon return to the country on the advice of his doctors. Prior to his surgery, the Prime Minister was in high spirits as he chaired two meetings via video link and gave a strong message to the nation that he strongly believed in the Almighty. Hussain Nawaz, son of the Prime Minister, also thanked people of the country for remembering them in their prayers.
Sharif's surgery comes as his government prepares to present its annual budget on Friday. It also remains under pressure over allegations of corruption linked to the so-called Panama Papers. "Surgery successful," his daughter, Maryam, said on her Twitter account about four and a half hours after she said the operation had begun. Earlier, she said her father "was in high spirits" as he was taken in for an operation for a "perforation of the heart", a complication from a 2011 procedure.
He has travelled to London for medical treatment several times over the past year and was accompanied on this trip by his brother, Shahbaz Sharif and several other family members. He has been overseeing state affairs in the days leading up to the surgery, and on Monday addressed an economic meeting, signing off on budget proposals that include a target of 5.7 percent growth in the year beginning in July.
"Surgery successful by The Grace Of Almighty," Maryam said on Twitter. "All arteries successfully grafted," she told her nearly two million followers. She said the prime minister was "off the pump". Sharif's surgery lasted more than four hours, according to his daughter's tweets. He is expected to stay in hospital for around a week to recover before travelling home.
A senior Pakistani government official told AFP at the weekend that Sharif, one of Pakistan's richest men, was paying all expenses from his own pocket and "none of the state expenditures are involved". "It may take little over a week for the prime minister to recover and travel back to Pakistan," the official added. Nawaz spoke to his mother over the telephone minutes before he entered the operation theatre.
Those present at the hospital included Begum Kalsoom Nawaz Sharif, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Nawaz and Shahbaz Sharif. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has asked party leaders and workers not to visit the hospital where he has been undergoing treatment. He said their visit to hospital in large number could create problems for other patients. Earlier, Prime Minister's spokesman Musaddiq Malik had said in a statement that the premier will remain in intensive care unit (ICU) for 24 hours after his surgery. He will later be moved to a hospital room.
Musaddiq Malik further stated that decision of PM Sharif's return to country will be made after consultation with his doctors, adding, "The PM, however, did not let his ailment become a hurdle in the way of duties." The spokesman also expressed gratitude to all those who prayed for the recovery of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.