Daily Times

The federal government has granted permission to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to go abroad for treatment of his medical condition which his medics say is not treatable in Pakistan, a private TV channel reported on Friday.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister Naeem ul Haque told reporters on Friday that the government has seen Nawaz’s medical reports, adding that the former prime minister is sick and the decision to grant him permission has been taken in light of his medical condition. “It is the right of every Pakistani to have himself treated as he deems fit,” he said. “The government has no reservations over Nawaz seeking treatment abroad,” he added.

Naeem, however, said it is up to the courts to decide how much time will be given to Nawaz to seek medical treatment. “The court will decide as to how many days Nawaz can go abroad,” he said. “It is also up to the court to decide on how long Nawaz can stay abroad for medical treatment.”

In a recent press release, the ministry of interior had stated that it had received a formal application from Shehbaz Sharif for the removal of Nawaz Sharif’s name from the ECL on medical grounds. The ministry said it has referred the matter to the NAB, to which the removal request was also sent. “The Ministry of Interior has taken all necessary actions keeping in view the urgency of the matter as pleaded by Shehbaz Sharif in his request. The Ministry of Interior will make its recommendations to the competent authority in view of the facts and after consulting all stakeholders,” said the press release.

The officials at the interior ministry are waiting for the formal orders to remove the PML-N supremo’s name from the ECL. They added that the former prime minister will be allowed to travel abroad within the next 48 hours.

The TV channel claimed that the former prime minister will travel to London next week. It is expected that the former prime minister will be accompanied by his brother Shehbaz Sharif, who has already suspended all his political and personal engagements due to his brother’s health.

The Sharif family is said to be consulting doctors in the United Kingdom and the United States to find the best treatment for Nawaz Sharif. Maryam Nawaz, the daughter of the ailing politician, said her father should be taken wherever the best treatment facilities are available. “Mian Sahib’s condition is very critical,” she said, adding that it is painful to not accompany her ailing father as her passport is with the court which has granted her bail to look after Nawaz Sharif. “Right now, my most pressing concern is Mian Sahib’s health, not politics,” she said, adding that her uncle Shehbaz Sharif is handling the matter of getting Nawaz’s name struck off the no-fly list.

Reports said the former prime minister will likely be given ‘one-time’ permission to go abroad – similar to the one given to his brother Shehbaz Sharif earlier this year.

Nawaz was granted bail on medical grounds by the Lahore High Court (LHC) in a NAB investigation into the Chaudhry Sugar Mills reference, while the Islamabad High Court (IHC) approved eight-week suspension of his seven-year sentence awarded to him by an accountability court in the Al Azizia Hill Metal Establishment corruption reference.

Nawaz Sharif’s personal physician Dr Adnan Khan on Friday said the former prime minister’s condition was ‘critical’ while two British doctors, according to family sources, have advised the Sharif family to bring Nawaz to London for immediate specialised treatment. Dr Khan also endorsed the view that the PML-N supremo needs to be shifted abroad for treatment. “Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is critically unwell,” he said in a post on Twitter, adding that the platelet count of the patient is unstable despite maximum dose of therapy.

The doctor said that the unexplained cause and uncertain diagnosis has ‘complicated the overall clinical scenario’. He said the condition of the patient requires ‘advanced investigations and specialised care’.