Nawaz Sharif's personal physician, Dr Adnan Khan, on Friday said the former premier's condition was "critical" while two British doctors, according to family sources, advised the Sharif family to bring Nawaz to London for specialised treatment immediately.

Dr Khan also endorsed the view that the PML-N supremo needs to be shifted abroad for treatment.

"Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is critically unwell," Dr Khan said in a post on Twitter, adding that the platelet count of the patient was unstable despite maximum therapy.

Read: Nawaz agrees to travel abroad for medical treatment

The doctor said that the unexplained cause and uncertain diagnosis had "complicated the overall clinical scenario". He said that the condition of the patient requires "advanced investigations and specialised care".

Sources within the Sharif family told DawnNewsTV that the family was in contact with two surgeons of a private clinic in London. According to the sources, the two surgeons had advised the family to bring Nawaz to London for treatment and "genetic tests" which are not available in Pakistan.

The sources said that the platelet levels of the former premier could not rise beyond 24,000 per microlitre despite treatment in the Services Hospital for 16 days. Doctors had warned the family that a level of 50,000 and beyond is required for a patient to be declared fit for [air] travel.

A Sharif family source on Thursday had told Dawn that Nawaz had agreed to go to London.

"Nawaz Sharif has finally agreed to go to London after the doctors told him categorically that they had already exhausted all medical treatment [options] available in Pakistan and going abroad is the only option left," the source had said.

The source further said that Nawaz might leave for London this week if his name is removed from the Exit Control List.

Interior ministry forwards ECL matter to NAB

The Interior Ministry issued a statement today, saying that it had received a formal application from Mian Shehbaz Sharif for the removal of Nawaz's name from the Exit Control List (ECL) on health grounds and treatment abroad.

The ministry said it had referred the matter to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Furthermore, a similar request was also sent to NAB by Shehbaz Sharif. The ministry said it also forwarded Nawaz's health reports received from Sharif Medical City, Lahore to the "Standing Medical Board" for their input and review.

The statement said that the ministry took all necessary actions keeping in view the urgency of the matter as pleaded by Shehbaz Sharif in his request.

'Extremely critical'

On Thursday, PML-N secretary information Marriyum Aurangzeb had said that an emergency meeting of the board of doctors treating Nawaz Sharif was held after his platelets dropped to a dangerous level again.

In a statement, she said the doctors had declared Nawaz's condition “extremely critical”, adding that despite all possible treatments in Pakistan, his condition was not improving.

The former prime minister was shifted to an intensive care unit (ICU) set up at his Jati Umra residence from the Services Hospital on Wednesday. The PML-N said the specialised ICU was set up at the residence on “doctors’ recommendations” and Sharif Medical City’s doctors would be available there round the clock.

During the course of treatment at the Services Institute of Medical Sciences, the former premier had suffered an angina attack, besides complaints of bleeding from gums and some other parts, because of his fluctuating platelets.

The Islamabad High Court had last week granted bail to Nawaz for eight weeks, suspending his seven-year sentence in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption reference on medical grounds. Earlier, he had also secured bail in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case from the Lahore High Court on the same ground.