Lahore: The danger to Nawaz Sharif’s health is increasing due to a delay in his travel abroad for treatment, his party has said, as the ailing former Pakistan prime minister awaits removal of his name from the no fly-list. The 69-year-old Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo agreed on Friday to go to the UK for the treatment, heeding doctors’ advice and accepting his family’s request.
He was scheduled to leave for London on a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight on Sunday morning. 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. The government could not remove Sharif’s name from the no fly-list (Exist Control List-ECL) as the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman, Javed Iqbal was not available to issue a no objection certificate in the case.
According to doctors, Sharif’s departure process needs to be speeded up, PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb tweeted. Aurangzeb said that doctors had given the former prime minister a heavy dose of steroids to prepare him for his travel abroad.
She said that it will become almost impossible to shift Sharif overseas for treatment in case of a medical emergency.
“Nawaz Sharif’s treatment abroad is being delayed by the delay in taking his name off the ECL,” Geo News quoted Aurangzeb as saying said.
“Doctors have said that he cannot be given heavy doses of steroids time and again.” “Doctors have said that Sharif needs to be shifted abroad immediately,” she said.
“A delay in his travel is increasing dangers to his health,” she tweeted. She said that doctors were doing their best to increase the platelet count of the former prime minister to ensure his health does not deteriorate when he travels. Firdous Ashiq Awan, the government’s spokesperson, said the decision to remove Sharif from the ECL would be taken after recommendations from the NAB and doctors. (PTI)
