Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif underwent successful open heart surgery in a London hospital on Tuesday, his second cardiac procedure in five years, his daughter said. 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. Sharif "was in high spirits" when he went in to the operating theater at about 8:00 a.m. (0700 GMT), his daughter, Maryam, said on her Twitter account. She did not say how long the surgery was expected to take. The operation was for a "perforation of the heart," a complication from a 2011 procedure, Maryam said in a Twitter post last week. Ever since the news of his scheduled surgery broke, prayers have been pouring in from the world leaders, party workers, religious personalities and political adversaries. Sharif, 66, was prime minister for two terms in the 1990s before being overthrown in a 1999 military coup. After years in exile, he returned to Pakistan in 2007 and led his party to a victory in a 2013 election. Sharif has been accompanied to London by his brother, Shahbaz Sharif, who is chief minister of Punjab province, and several other family members and aides. He has traveled to London for medical treatment several times over the past year. On Monday, Sharif telephoned his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, thanking him for his wishes for a quick recovery, the Pakistani Foreign Office said in a statement. Sharif made a bid to improve ties with old rival India a main policy in his 2013 election campaign, though progress has been slow. Sharif 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. According to reports emanating from the Pakistani media, there is a great deal of secrecy surrounding the PM's surgery and it is not known which hospital he has been admitted to. The premier could not be found at the Royal Brompton Hospital in Chelsea where he previously received treatment, and is presumed to have left his home without detection. Members of the premier's security detail have allegedly been posted at various hospitals to throw reporters off the trail. The prime minister is expected to in the hospital for a week following his surgery. During his stay at the hospital, the premier will be overseeing the affairs of his government from London, the media wing of PM House said earlier. World leaders, party workers and well-wishers conveyed their wishes for the PM's quick recovery in days leading up to his surgery.
