Nawaz agrees to travel abroad for medical treatment.

Byline: Zulqernain Tahir

LAHORE -- Former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif has reportedly acceded to doctors' advice and family's persuasion to go abroad for treatment of his diseases.

'Nawaz 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 Sharif family source told Dawn on Thursday.

Subsequently, he said, the PML-N had shared with the PTI government the doctors' recommendations regarding Mr Sharif's travel abroad. 'In light of the doctors' reports, the government is likely to remove Mr 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 Mr Sharif might leave for London this week if his name was removed from the ECL. 'Though Mr 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 said.

The source said Maryam Nawaz would not go with her father as she had surrendered her passport to the Lahore High Court as surety against the bail granted to her in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case. 'At the moment Nawaz Sharif's health matters more as he is fighting for his life. Maryam Nawaz may explore the option of going to London to look after her father later,' he added.

Read: Now that she has secured bail, Maryam's priority may be to attend to her ailing father

Family source says doctors' reports have been shared with govt which may remove ex-PM's name from ECL soon; Maryam won't accompany her father

At present, Mr 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 Mr Sharif's platelet count should be 50,000 and beyond for travel abroad, the source said the doctors might give him high dose to increase his platelets, enabling him to undertake the travel.

Interior Minister retired Brig Ijaz Shah has already hinted at allowing Mr Sharif to go abroad. 'If going abroad for treatment is the only option for Nawaz Sharif, then the government will find a way,' he had said.

Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, president of the government-allied Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid, has also asked Prime...