Islamabad, November 16: The Lahore High Court on Saturday granted permission to former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to go abroad for four weeks for medical treatment, without having to sign the indemnity bond, reported The Express Tribune. Earlier, Pakistan's ailing former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday refused to meet Imran Khan government's demand to submit indemnity bonds worth Rs 700 crores for travel to the UK for medical treatment, saying it was "illegal" and denounced attempts to politicise his health, according to news agency PTI. No Bed, Dirty Washroom for Nawaz Sharif in Jail, Alleges Son Hussain.

On Tuesday, Pakistan Cabinet decided to allow 69-year-old Sharif to go to the UK for medical treatment if the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo agrees to sign surety bonds making a commitment that he would return after the treatment and face corruption cases against him. The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Khan, approved the removal of Sharif's name from the no-fly list (Exit Control List-ECL).

"We have categorically told the government that Sharif would not submit any indemnity bonds worth Rs 7 billion (Rs 700 crores) to the government for removing his name from the no-fly list enabling his departure for London for his treatment," a PML-N leader quoted Sharif as saying.

"Nawaz Sharif said the government demand is illegal and can't be met in the presence of the court guarantees." Nawaz also showed his annoyance over the government's 'tactics' to politicise the issue of his health.

"The government cannot hold another court of its own on the earlier decision of the Islamabad High Court that granted Sharif eight weeks bail on medical grounds," the PML-N leader told PTI, adding the Sharif family may move the court for removal of his name from the ECL if the government did not decide in his favour on Wednesday.

"If something happens to Sharif , Imran Khan and company will be responsible as he is critical and government is using the opportunity for their dirty politics," he said.

Sharif is under treatment at his Lahore's Jati Umra House. His platelet count is said to unstable and is critically low. 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.

On December 24, 2018, an accountability court had sentenced Sharif to seven years in prison in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption case and acquitted him in the Flagship case. On October 29, the Islamabad High Court suspended Sharif's sentence in the Al-Azizia corruption case for eight weeks on medical grounds. The Sharif family has denied all corruption charges and termed them as politically motivated. (With PTI Inputs)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 16, 2019 08:09 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).