The Punjab health department on Thursday ordered an investigation into how a Covid vaccine was registered in the name of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif who left for UK in 2019.

News of the vaccine being made in Nawaz's name caused a great deal of shock while also highlighting the abuse of a system said to be fool proof.

According to the images published online as well as on social media, the NIMS certificate shows that Nawaz received his first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine Sinovac on Wednesday at Government Koh Khawaja Saeed Hospital.

Punjab health authorities took note of this incident and ordered an inquiry but the images of the certificate were widely shared on social media and caused concern about such a breach.

Punjab chief minister Usman Buzdar also took note of the incident and asked for a report in 48 hours.

PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz also commented on the breach at a press conference in Islamabad where she said “this could draw an international reaction over the kind of system Pakistan has for vaccine administration and registration.”

According to a report in ARY on Friday, Punjab suspended the MS of Kot Khawaja Saeed Hospital and a senior medical officer in relation to this incident. .

The report says that Dr Muhammad Aijaz Butt has been given additional charge of the hospital.

Social media weighed in on the fallout from such a disclosure.

Some took exception to head of NCOC Asad Umar's comments in a press conference in which he said perhaps Nawaz did have a fake vaccine given his proclivity for fake things like the font, his blood count and so forth.

Some said this explained why the international community placed such reservations on Pakistani travelers into their countries.

PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal used the opportunity to raise questions about the reliability of electronic voting machines the PTI government wants to introduce in the 2023 elections.