Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan's Ailing Ex-PM, Leaves For London For His Medical Treatment

Nawaz Sharif, the former prime minister of Pakistan, left for London on Tuesday. The ailing ex-PM left in an air ambulance from Lahore. The medical flight will reach London via Doha and land at Heathrow airport, latest reports say. Pakistan's Interior Ministry had issued a notification to formally allow former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to travel abroad for medical treatment, stating that the decision was taken as an "interim arrangement" in light of the Lahore High Court's order. In its notification, the Ministry on Monday reproduced the undertakings provided by PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif and Nawaz Sharif to the Lahore High Court in which the terms of their travel and return have been laid out, reports Dawn news.

After much delay, Pakistan government decided to let Sharif go abroad for treatment due to his critical medical conditions. Maryam, 46, said she would not accompany her father as her name was still on the Exit Control List (ECL). "Shehbaz Sharif is looking after all the boarding and lodging of the former premier. After losing my mother last year, my father is my everything now," Maryam had said.

"The government could not remove Sharif's name from the no fly-list (Exist Control List-ECL) as the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman was not available to issue no objection certificate in this case," a government official told news agency PTI. He said the officials of the NAB have also sought Sharif's medical reports.

The official said that as a special case, the government may remove his name from the ECL enabling Sharif to catch his flight at 9am on Sunday, otherwise this matter will be taken up on Monday.

Earlier, the court granted Nawaz bail for eight weeks on medical grounds. The Islamabad High Court granted him bail in Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption case. The bail plea was filed by PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif for his brother Nawaz.

According to reports, the court, while announcing the judgement, said that Rs 2 million each will have to be submitted to the court to secure Nawaz's release.

Shraif has been lodged in jail after an accountability court had sentenced Sharif on December 24, 2018 to seven years in prison in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption case.

Nawaz Sharif is ‘fighting for life’ after a drastic drop in his blood platelet count, a media report quoted his personal doctor as saying, days after Pakistan’s former prime minister was rushed from prison to a hospital.

Sharif, 69, was admitted to the Services Hospital from the anti-graft body’s custody after his platelets dropped to a critical low level of 2,000.

Sharif’s personal  physician Dr Adnan Khan said in a series of tweets that “Former PM #NawazSharif, critically unwell, is fighting the battle for his health & life. Thrombocytopenia (Low Platelet Count) & NSTEMI (Heart Attack) is further complicated by deteriorating Kidney functions. Poor Blood Sugar & Blood Pressure control is taking its toll,” Geo News reported.