Sharif likely to fly to US for treatment on Dec.16

Tariq Butt

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who is currently in London, is likely to fly to the United States on Dec.16 for medical treatment of his ailment there.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader is residing at the Avenfield flats owned by his son Hasan in London since Nov.20.

His elder son Hussain has stated that his father’s health continues to be precarious.

He said that Sharif was as serious as he was when he came to London from Pakistan.

Serving a seven-year jail term in a corruption case, Sharif had been released on medical grounds for eight weeks by the Islamabad High Court on Oct.27.

The Lahore High Court (LHC) later directed the government to remove his name from the Exit Control List (ECL) for four weeks on Nov.16 so that he could fly abroad for his treatment as suggested by various medical boards.

The ex-premier had refused to travel abroad on the condition set by the government that he should submit an indemnity bond as a guarantee for his return to the country after his treatment.

PML-N President and leader of the opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif has given an undertaking to the LHC that he would ensure the return of his brother on certification by the doctors that he was fit to travel to Pakistan.

The former prime minister had been flown to the UK in an air ambulance accompanied by his personal physician Dr Adnan and Shahbaz Sharif.

Diagnosed with an immune system disorder causing low platelet count, the sources said as treatment of the disease was not available in London too, Nawaz Sharif had to be shifted to the United States for the purpose.

They said the medical tests conducted in London revealed that blood supply to a part of Nawaz Sharif’s brain was obstructed causing low platelet count issue and the surgical procedure facility required to treat it was available only in Boston, US.

A group of senior PML-N leaders is in London to inquire after Nawaz Sharif.

But they were so far not allowed to visit him and were briefed on his condition by Dr Adnan.

Separately, a group of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) supporter held a protest outside the London flats where a call to murder Nawaz Sharif’s by shooting was made by a caller; another protester threatened to break the law and a group of protesters attempted to break down the main gate.

Around 40 protesters, led by Tariq Mehmood who runs a group called ‘Pakistan Patriotic Front,’ raised slogans in support of PTI and many were wearing PTI caps.

Most of the protesters are seen often at the PTI protests but PTI’s elected body issued a statement distancing itself from the protest.

A protester can be heard shouting in the video that “some shoot him” in reference to Nawaz Sharif’s presence at the third floor in Avenfield flats.

Another protester was carrying the poster which read “we cannot wait for the law,” “Avenfield belongs to us to keep,” “Imran Khan our pride” and “long live PTI.”

Another protester called for the Taliban style bombing of the Avenfield apartments and said that casualties in such bombings are normal.

Video footage shows at least three protesters banging the front gate in order to break down while two protesters entered premises from the side entrance and they were asked by the police to come out. Similar scenes were witnessed when Nawaz Sharif and Maryam left for Pakistan to go to jail in the summer of 2018, a few days before the general elections.

Ahead of the violent protest on Sunday, Tariq Mehmood (also known as Chaudhry Tariq) issued a call asking for the occupation of Avenfield House.

He said in a viral audio message: “Its our duty to occupy property of these people. This is our right. This property belongs to the people of Pakistan. We are monitoring the whole situation and if needed we will move in. We will move into the Avenfield House in the same way that property of Libyan leader Qaddafi was occupied and the British government took no action against them because the government thought these properties were made with the looted money. For us to occupy these properties, it’s our right because this money belongs to Pakistan. It is our duty to occupy properties of everyone who comes to the UK.”