Pakistan's ailing ex-PM Sharif flown to London for treatment
Baku, November 20, AZERTAC
Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has left Pakistan in an air ambulance to receive medical treatment in London, his party said, according to Aljazeera.
Sharif, 69, was accompanied by his younger brother and personal physician, according to leaders of his Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) Party (PMLN).
The former prime minister is suffering from an auto-immune blood disorder, high blood pressure and deteriorating kidney function, according to aides.
His doctor said he was "fighting for his life".
Sharif was sentenced to seven years in prison on corruption charges in December last year. Since he was granted bail last month on medical grounds, his party and family have been fighting to get his name removed from a travel ban list to allow him to seek treatment overseas.
Known as the "Lion of Punjab", Sharif is a political survivor who has repeatedly returned to the country's top office. He served three terms - but did not complete a single one.
His first tenure, beginning in 1990, ended in 1993 when he was sacked over corruption. The second lasted from 1997 to 1999, when he was deposed by the powerful military.
Sharif blamed the security establishment again for targeting him in 2017 when the Supreme Court disqualified him from politics for life over graft allegations. He has denied the allegations.
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