Pakistan's former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who is serving a prison sentence for corruption, has left the country to receive medical treatment in London.
Sharif, a three-time prime minister, has an immune system disorder and other health problems.
The Lahore High Court lifted a travel ban on Saturday and the government rubber-stamped the decision on Monday.
Imran Khan's government had been reluctant to release Sharif.
It wanted the politician - who has so far served less than 12 months of a seven year prison sentence - to sign an indemnity bond worth $44m (£34m) before allowing him to go abroad.
However, the court allowed him to travel without signing the bond.
Sharif's health and the travel ban have dominated news in Pakistan for nearly a month.
Last month, his blood platelet count dropped to a critical 16,000, compared to around 150,000 for a healthy person, a doctor told BBC Urdu's Umar Nangiana in Lahore.
The 69-year-old is also on drugs for a cardiac problem, and suffers from diabetes and kidney issues.
Both official and private medical boards have recommended he is treated abroad, as Pakistan does not have adequate facilities.
Sharif will travel via Doha in a "high-end air ambulance" with a fully-staffed intensive care unit and operating theatre, his personal doctor said. (BBC)
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