Hamid Mir in UK for medical treatment | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Hamid Mir in UK for medical treatment

Pakistan Press Foundation

LONDON: Renowned journalist, Geo News anchor, analyst and author Hamid Mir has reached London for medical treatment and check-ups and is likely to return to Pakistan in a month.

Hamid Mir arrived here on the evening of Friday to attend pre-arranged medical appointments. Hamid Mir has travelled to London this time on medical visa, not as a visitor. His medical visa is for 6 months but its understood that he will be leaving for Pakistan before the end of Ramazan.

He has appointments at the Cromwell Hospital in London and Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, where Malala Yousufzai was treated. Hamid Mir will also be treated for the bladder injury which he sustained during the firing. He is unable to sit properly due to severe pain in his left leg. An orthopaedic surgeon at the Cromwell Hospital will treat him for leg injury. Its understood that senior surgeons at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham will remove the remaining bullets from Hamid Mir’s body.

The opinion of Pakistani doctors on two bullets in Mir’s body was divided. Some favoured removing the bullets but some said there was no need of removing the bullets but the pain became too much with the passage of time. Doctors then advised him to consult doctors in the UK.

He decided to apply for the medical visa after doctors in Pakistan refused to remove two bullets, still lodged in his body. Hamid Mir was attacked in Karachi on 19th of April and six bullets were pumped into his body. He was on his way to Geo headquarters when his attackers struck who lay in waiting for him and has knowledge about the route he will travel on.

Some media outlets went in overdrive in Pakistan on Friday evening and said variously that he had ‘fled’ Pakistan, ‘shifted’ to London and ‘run out’. Similar news about Hamid Mir were spread by his usual detractors in media in 2012 when he had spoken at a BBC seminar on media in South Asia. Hamid Mir’s usual detractors also spread news soon after his attack that he will be fleeing to America to live there permanently but they were proven wrong. Hamid Mir has come to the UK only on the medical advice of his doctors.

When contacted by The News about the rumours that he has ‘shifted’ to London, a high-spirited Hamid Mir laughed off and said that such hate-mongering was nothing new to him. He confirmed that he had ensured that he travelled to Britain on medical visa so as not to be in violation of the UK immigration laws.

Hamid Mir told The News on Saturday: “I have come here just for few days only for medical reasons. Inshallah, I shall be back in Pakistan soon, as soon as my medical treatment is over. I need prayers of my people for the fast recovery. I must thank again the staff at Agha Khan Hospital Karachi where I treated after the attack, especially Dr Inam Pal. I will be visiting respected surgeon Dr Amir Nisar in Kent who has also taught in Agha Khan Hospital.

The News