Pakistan Cabinet allows Sharif to travel abroad for treatment

Pakistan Cabinet on Tuesday decided to allow former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to go abro for medical treatment if he agrees to sign surety bonds making a commitment that he would return after treatment and face cases against him.

cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan, approved removal of Sharif's name from -fly list (Exit Control List-ECL). Railway Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahm told media that Cabinet conditionally allowed Sharif to go abro.

Sharif to go to UK

69-year-old Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo agreed on Friday to go to UK for treatment, heeding doctors' vice and accepting his family's request. He was scheduled to leave for London on a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight on Sunday morning. However, he could t leave as his name figured in fly-list.

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Majority of cabinet members supported decision to let him go out of country for treatment but with condition that he should give surety bond to come back, he said. Special Assistant on Information Firdous Awan in a briefing after Cabinet meeting told media that Khan looked at case of Sharif on human grounds and decided to allow him (Sharif) get treatment out of Pakistan.

She also said surety bond money should be equal to fine imposed by courts while convicting him. Awan said that sub-committee will meet again tonight to finalize modalities of surety bond and or related matters before his name is removed from -fly list.

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Earlier, a special sub-committee of cabinet in its meeting on morning discussed issue. Earlier, a special sub-committee of cabinet in its meeting on morning discussed issue. Law Minister Farogh Naseem chaired meeting attended by Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Accountability Shahz Akbar and interior secretary.

Sharif's personal physician nan Khan and a lawyer Attaullah Tarar as well as representatives of NAB also attended meeting. anti-corruption watchdog earlier refused to decide wher Sharif's name should be removed from -fly list and asked government to decide issue.

Sources in ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) told PTI that Prime Minister Khan was facing resistance from some of cabinet colleagues and party members who were opposed to giving any concession to Sharif. y believe that decision to let Sharif go out on even medical grounds would hurt party as PTI won elections on slogan of bringing all corrupt politician to books.

RE | Nawaz Sharif may travel to London for furr treatment: Report

Last month, Sharif, who is suffering from a bleeding disorder, was granted bail by Lahore High Court (LHC) on medical grounds, while Islamab High Court (IHC) suspended his seven-year jail-term for treatment. His medic says Sharif needs to be flown abro for treatment as his condition remains precarious. Sharif family has requested Interior Ministry to remove his name from ECL, so that he could be flown to United Kingdom.

An air ambulance will arrive in Lahore on Wednesday to take Sharif out of country for treatment, PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said.

She ded that doctors will use steroids and or medicines to ensure that former prime minister's platelets are up to levels that will be required for travelling.

Sharif is suffering from multiple health complications, including erratic platelet count, and is currently being taken care at his residence near Lahore where an ICU has been set up.

former prime minister was lodged in Kot Lakhpat jail but last month he was sent to custody of NAB which is probing Sharif family in Chaudhry Sugar Mills corruption case.

On December 24, 2018, an accountability court h sentenced Sharif to seven years in prison in Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption case and acquitted him in Flagship case.

On October 29, Islamab High Court suspended Sharif's sentence in Al-Azizia corruption case for eight weeks on medical grounds.

Sharif family has denied all corruption charges and termed m as politically motivated.