On Thursday, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Shehbaz Sharif said the government's decision to demand indemnity bonds from Nawaz Sharif was equivalent to asking for "ransom".

In a press conference in Lahore, Sharif announced the decision to approach the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the government, which in  a meeting of the federal cabinet, decided that the ailing Sharif would only be allowed to leave the country if he submits an indemnity bond.

"The narrow-mindedness of Imran Khan and his team has made a human issue a political one, which is condemnable," the younger Sharif said. "Nawaz is facing these issues bravely."

The PML-N leader continued, “Lahore High Court granted Nawaz bail and allowed him to travel abroad. We cannot accept this indemnity bond condition on any cost.”

Shehbaz further said, “I did not think there would be such bitter politics done on someone’s health.”

“It is not just me who think politics is being done on Nawaz’s health. Even a minister from Karachi accepted that politics was being done on his health,” he said.  

“When Imran Khan was injured, Nawaz Sharif himself went to the hospital to inquire about his health. The government doctors themselves have said that Nawaz’s treatment was not possible in Pakistan, but despite that a humanitarian issue was being made into a political one,” he said.   

The PML-N leader added that Nawaz Sharif returned to the country, even as he was abroad in England at the time. “When the Avenfield verdict was announced last year on July 6, 2018, he [Nawaz]was with his ailing wife. Six days later he was in the country, where he was locked up in Adiala prison.”