Shehbaz Sharif to chair PML-N huddle today

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif has called an important meeting of the party’s senior leaders on Thursday (today), as the government said that it would allow the former prime minister to go abroad for medical treatment for four weeks.

The meeting will be attended by Ahsan Iqbal, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Ayaz Sadiq, Atta Tarar and other party leaders to mull over the situation in the wake of the cabinet sub-committee’s decision.

It also emerged that after the meeting Shehbaz Sharif will address a press conference at 3 pm, today, to brief about the health of the PML-N supremo.

Earlier, federal cabinet’s subcommittee had allowed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to travel abroad for medical treatment for four weeks, but after submitting surety bonds.

Federal Minister for Law Farogh Naseem, while addressing a press conference in Islamabad had announced that PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif, who had appealed for permission, will have to submit an indemnity bond to the tune of around 7 billion rupees to avail the concession.

Read more: Govt issues notification for Nawaz’s one-time abroad travel   

Sharif family had refused to submit surety bonds as demanded by the government to pave the way for the removal of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s name from the exit control list (ECL).

During the cabinet sub-committee meeting, Nawaz’s lawyers denied submitting surety bonds for the removal of the former premier’s name from ECL, added sources.

The PML-N supremo had been granted bail by the Islamabad High Court in the Al-Azizia reference on medical grounds on October 26 after his health deteriorated and he was admitted to Lahore’ Services Hospital.