Pakistan ex-PM Sharif seeks permission to travel abroad

The family of former Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif are trying to get a travel ban against him lifted so that he can go abroad for medical treatment, one of his close aides told AFP yesterday. Sharif, Pakistan’s longest-serving premier, was ousted from his third term in office in 2017 and later imprisoned on corruption charges. But his health has deteriorated in prison. Last month, he suffered a minor heart attack, his party said, adding that he is suffering from an autoimmune blood disorder. Sharif also suffers from high blood pressure and his kidney functions are deteriorating, according to aides. His doctor has claimed via Twitter that Sharif is “fighting for his life”.