Allow Sharif to travel abroad for treatment, says Pak senate chief

Sharif was expected to leave Pakistan but his ticket was canceled as the authorities did not remove his name from the Exit Control List. Doctors have been struggling to bring his platelet count that had dropped to dangerous levels back to normal.

Islamabad:Pakistan's Senate Chairman Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani on Thursday asked the government to allow former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to go abroad for medical treatment without any conditions, as well as provide all facilities to him concerning his health.

In his remarks at the Upper House, Sanjrani urged not to politicise the matter about Sharif's health.

The matter was raised at the Upper House by Senator Javed Abbasi, who, in his statement, deemed the government's condition of submitting a surety bond of over PKR 7 billion for Sharif's name to be struck off the Exit Control List (ECL) as 'unconstitutional'.

He noted that Sharif was the only person who held the office of PM thrice and that the Punjab government's medical board had recommended that he be sent abroad for medical treatment because of the serious threat to his life.

Pakistan's government has said that Sharif will be given "one-time" permission to travel aboard for his medical treatment for four weeks. This permission will be subject to the Sharif family submitting an indemnity bond "to the tune of PKR 7-7.5 billion".

Sharif is required to travel to London for treatment after his health deteriorated in the Kot Lakhpat jail where he was serving a seven-year jail term in a corruption case.

He was rushed to hospital from the prison last month after his physician Adnan raised an alarm over his deteriorating health. Doctors have been struggling to bring his platelet count that had dropped to dangerous levels back to normal.

Sharif was expected to leave Pakistan on Sunday. However, his ticket was canceled as the authorities did not remove his name from the Exit Control List.