–Qureshi says Foreign Ministry has written a letter to UK authorities to bring ex-PM back
–Firdous says PML-N supremo hasn’t submitted any medical reports in 105 days despite clear court directives
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has formally approached the British government for the deportation of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif, who is currently on bail to seek medical treatment in London.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told reporters on Tuesday that his ministry has written a letter to the British government, however, the details of its contents will be revealed later.
Separately, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, while speaking at a press conference, said that the letter was necessary to bring the former prime minister back to the country.
She said that it was evident from the uproar over the letter that the PML-N supremo had wanted to remain abroad for an extended period of time.
“It has been 105 days since Nawaz left the country. During this time, he has not sent any reports regarding an improvement in his health, nor has he been admitted to any hospital. This means that he has misused the facility that was extended to him,” she said.
“The medical board asks you [Nawaz] to give medical reports but you send letters and certificates instead. There is a difference between a report and a letter,” she maintained.
She stated that the same board that had allowed Nawaz to travel abroad, was now saying that the recent paperwork submitted showed that he was well. “On the recommendations of the same board, the federal government has decided to bring Nawaz back to the country,” she added.
In a reference to the viral photograph of the former premier at a café in London, she said that it indicated that he did not fulfill the reason for which he was granted special permission.
She further said that she felt pity for the workers of PML-N as the leaders had “abandoned them once again”.
On Sunday, while addressing a press conference in Sialkot, Dr Firdous had said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government had decided to approach the authorities in the United Kingdom (UK) for the extradition of the former premier.
The PM’s aide had said that Nawaz, who was allowed to go to the UK for medical treatment, failed to provide his medical reports to the Punjab government despite the fact that his exit was conditional to his compliance with the local authorities. “Now, the time has come that he should be brought back the country,” she had added.
She had also said that the government would write to the British authorities for the extradition of the Sharif brothers and steps would be taken by the concerned authorities in this regard in the coming week. The PM’s aide had claimed that a “section of media had created the perception” that if the PML-N leader was not allowed to leave for treatment abroad then his life might be in danger.
Earlier, the Punjab government had asked the federal government to approach the court concerned against the extension in the former premier’s bail. “We have sent a letter to the federal government now they will take action,” Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat had said on Wednesday.
The provincial government’s stance was supported by Federal Minister of Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry, who termed the decision as a “good step”. The minister had also called for the formation of an independent commission to confirm the authenticity of the PML-N supremo’s previous reports.
On February 25, the provincial government had rejected Nawaz’s application for an extension in bail, stating that the former premier had failed to provide the required medical reports.
Basharat, while addressing a press conference alongside Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid and Punjab Information Minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan, had said that the government had repeatedly asked the PML-N leader to furnish his reports.
“He has not been admitted to any hospital since he went to London for treatment. We have repeatedly asked his physician Dr Adnan about the cardiac procedure. Dr Adnan failed to give any particular date,” Basharat said.
“The Islamabad High Court (IHC) had given eight weeks to Nawaz. In the last 16 weeks we have not received any new reports from London,” he had added.
The provincial law minister had said that a special board was constituted by the chief minister which kept requesting for fresh reports.
“After seven to eight observations, the board asked for new reports, however, the response we received from them was that the reports that had already been sent were conclusive and a decision should be taken on them,” he noted.
“Since no new reports were sent, the Punjab cabinet reached a decision on them and decided not to extend the bail,” Basharat said.
Nawaz went to London in November last year after getting permission from the Lahore High Court (LHC). The government of Pakistan had said that their own investigation proved that the former premier was critically ill and needed urgent treatment.
The court had permitted to remove his name from the Exit Control List (ECL) without any conditions for a time period of four weeks. In its decision, the LHC had said that in case Nawaz’s health did not improve then the time-period could be extended, adding that the government officials would be able to contact Nawaz through the Pakistani embassy.
The doctors appointed by the government of Pakistan had said that Sharif’s platelets were dropping unusually, leading to risk of cardiac arrest and bleeding.
