"No indication MQM-P's Shazia Farooq took sedatives," says hospital MS

After Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan's (MQM-P) MPA Shazia Farooq was admitted to Karachi's Abbasi Shaheed Hospital last night after allegedly swallowing a large quantity of sedatives, Medical Superintendent Dr Anwar told the media on Tuesday that there was no indication she had taken any sedatives.

Dr Anwar, when asked whether Farooq had swallowed pills, said: "We received reports from doctors, nurses and paramedics and there is no indication that she took any sedatives."

"I believe that given the current [political] context, it is possible that she was experiencing severe mental stress. Because of that, gastric pain and hyper-acidity can occur," he said.

"She will be discharged soon because [while treating her], we didn't feel for a moment that there was any danger to her life or health," he added. "She was fully conscious and in her senses."

A section of the media had earlier reported the incident as an "attempted suicide".

A medico-legal official, Saleem Shaikh, earlier told Dawn that the MPA had been admitted to the hospital's Intensive Care Unit and her condition was serious at the time.

However, Baldia Station House Officer (SHO) Chaudhry Muhammed Aslam told Dawn that no one had contacted him or his police station regarding the case.

"We have only seen media reports regarding it being a case of attempted suicide," the SHO said.

Muhammad Farooq, the legislator's son, told DawnNewsTV on Tuesday that his mother was in stable condition and "will be discharged from the hospital soon."

Talking to the media outside the hospital, the legislator's father held Farooq Sattar responsible for his daughter's condition.

Furious about MQM's dismal performance in the Senate poll, Sattar had lashed out at members of his own party and had alleged that the PPP had bought some MQM-P members in their attempt to secure the most number seats in the election.

As a result of Sattar's allegations, Shazia and fellow MPA Naila Munir had released video statements in which they said that they were frustrated and angry because of the differences in the party and the persistence of Dr Sattar in nominating Kamran Tessori, who was the main reason behind the split, for the Senate.

Both of them had made it clear that they did not vote for the MQM-P, but claimed that they did not make any deal to sell their vote.

Shazia and Munir had said that they were not associated with any of the MQM-P groups and they would prefer to sit home instead of becoming part of any grouping.

"My mother did not sell her vote, in fact she cancelled her vote in the Senate elections," Muhammad Farooq had said on Monday night, adding that members of all political parties had contacted the family to "lend their support in this time of need."

"People can play politics all they want, everyone knows about my mother's sacrifices for the tanzeem," he added.