Sharif agrees to travel abroad for medical treatment

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has reportedly acceded to doctors advice and familys persuasion to go abroad for treatment, days after he was released from a hospital here.

"Sharif has finally agreed to go to London after the doctors told him categorically that they had already exhausted all medical treatment (options) available in Pakistan and going abroad is the only option left," a family source told Dawn news on Thursday.

The source added that the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) had shared with the Imran Khan government the doctors' recommendations regarding Sharif's travel abroad.

"In light of the doctors' reports, the government is likely to remove Sharif's name from the Exit Control List (ECL) in a day or two, enabling him to leave the country," he added.

The source further said that Sharif might leave for London this week if his name was removed from the ECL.

"Though Sharif was not ready to go abroad after the recommendations of the medical board of the Services Hospital and the medics of the Sharif Medical City and the ‘request' of his family members, he has finally agreed," he added.

At present, Sharif's platelet count has dropped to 24,000.

According to the doctors, 50,000 platelets and beyond are required for a patient to be declared fit for (air) travel.

When asked that Sharif's platelet count should be 50,000 and beyond for travel abroad, the source told Dawn news that the doctors might give him high dose to increase his platelets, enabling him to undertake the travel.

The medical board led by Services Institute of Medical Sciences Principal Professor Mahmood Ayaz has already recommended Sharif's treatment abroad in the wake of his health complications.

"The panel of doctors has come to a unanimous decision that since the complete genetic test facility is not available in Pakistan, the patient requires treatment abroad," Dr Ayaz had told Dawn.

During the course of treatment at the Services Hospital, the former premier had suffered an angina attack, besides complaints of bleeding from gums and some other parts, because of his fluctuating platelets.

The Islamabad High Court had last week granted bail to Sharif for eight weeks, suspending his seven-year sentence in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption reference on medical grounds.

Earlier, he had also secured bail in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case from the Lahore High Court on the same ground.