Viral ‘Pakistan PMO’ Letter Claiming Shehbaz Sharif Has Been Hospitalised For Haemorrhoids Is Fake

A purported, leaked “confidential” notification from the Pakistan PMO has gone viral on social media, stating that its Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, has been admitted to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Rawalpindi for haemorrhoids. “The Prime Minister remains under the expert care of a specialised medical team at CMH. As of the latest update, his health condition is stable, and he is responding well to the prescribed course of treatment. The hospitalisation has been undertaken as a precautionary and standard medical measure advised by his attending physicians,” read the “letter”, dated April 27, 2025.

The archived version of the post can be seen here. We received this letter on our Whatsapp tipline (91-9999499044), too, with users requesting us to fact-check it.

Fact Check

Newschecker ran a keyword search for “Shehbaz Sharif hospitalisation haemorrhoids,” which did not lead us to any credible news reports nor official statements from the Pakistan government regarding Sharif being hospitalised.

We noticed that the letter was purportedly issued by Asad Rehman Gilani, principal secretary to the Pakistani PM, following which we ran a relevant keyword search. We learnt that Gilani was in March 2025 transferred from his then position as the principal secretary to PM (PSPM) to the National Heritage and Culture Division as secretary, which contradicts the viral “letter” allegedly signed by Gilani as PSPM.

“According to official notifications issued on Monday, Mr Gilani, the principal secretary to PM (PSPM) has been transferred to the National Heritage and Culture Division as secretary, replacing Hassan Nasir Jamy who has been made OSD…Sources told Dawn that the PM decided to abolish the post of PSPM, and his newly appointed adviser, Dr Tauqir Shah, who has the status of federal minister, will serve in place of PSPM in capacity of PM’s advise,” read a Dawn report, dated March 18, 2025, further raising credibility of the viral letter.

We next came across multiple news reports, seen here, here and here, stating that Sharif held meetings with the executives of IT companies on Wednesday (April 30), while he also addressed a Digital Foreign Direct Investment (DFDI-2025) conference in Islamabad on Tuesday (April 29). Also, on April 28, a day after his purported hospitalisation, Sharif attended a meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI), which, again, contradicts the viral letter that stated Sharif, who was allegedly admitted on April 27, is under expert care at the hospital and has not been discharged.

We also came across this Dawn report, dated April 29, 2025, stating that an official at the PMO told Dawn that the viral notification was a fake.  “On the contrary, PM Shehbaz was actively involved in official duties, including attending the Council of Common Interests meeting on April 28 — the same day the fake notification began circulating on social media,” read the report, which further confirmed that the viral notification was fake.

Newschecker reached out to Saqib Tanveer, editor at the Independent Urdu, who said that the notification was fake. “The Prime Minister has been meeting people since the last three days. Yesterday, he addressed a conference on investment,” he said.

Also Read: Pakistan Army ‘Mass Resignations’ Memo: Unpacking The Inconsistencies

Conclusion

Fake Pakistan PMO notification stating that Shehbaz Sharif has been admitted to hospital for haemorrhoids is being shared as real.

Source
Dawn News report, March 18, 2025
Conversation with Saqib Tanveer, editor at the Independent Urdu
Rediff report, April 29, 2025
Dawn report,  April 29, 2025