Diana's ex-Pak lover Dr Khan eyeing top post at Pak cardiac centre

Islamabad, Mar 15 : Late Princess Diana's ex-Pakistani lover Dr Hasnat Khan might soon get a plum posting in the soon-to-be set-up cardiac centre in the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).

The recommendations for him are 'strong' and the country's prime minister sought a report on the issue, reported the Dawn.

"Almost everyone who matters in Islamabad has endorsed him to the health ministry," the paper quoted a source as saying.

Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Dr Akram Sheikh, one of Khan's leading recommenders, said: "If I were to be asked, I would definitely recommend him because he is a renowned surgeon."

The cardiac surgeon, who was recommended by Princess Diana for a job in Dr Christiaan Baarnard's heart institute in Cape Town in South Africa, is said to be interested in the position of project director of the cardiac centre in PIMS, a post which is meant for a civil engineer.

Dr Khan (48) has been lately working in Malaysia after having served in various UK hospitals for quite some time. In one such hospital he met Princess Diana and had a small stint of love with her.

The cardiac centre at PIMS is still under construction and the Rs1.2 billion project is not expected to be completed before June 2009. Therefore, in the opinion of some experts, hiring a consultant a year and a half before the centre becomes operational may raise many an eyebrow.

One of the country's leading cardiologists said that Dr Khan was a medical graduate of 1983, but could not progress beyond a senior registrar in the UK. According to him, a UK national who did not go beyond the position of senior registrar in 7-8 years would be not considered a top specialist.

Health ministry officials are insisting that the position should be advertised and filled on merit.

ANI