Nasheed had sought permission to go abroad for a surgery on his back, but Correctional Service had repeatedly denied the request insisting that the microdiscectomy surgery could be done in the Maldives. However, in an apparent U-turn, foreign ministry announced on twitter Saturday the government had granted permission to Nasheed to travel to UK to undergo surgery, at his request. Former First Lady Laila Ali told India’s The Hindu newspaper over the telephone from London that she was overjoyed. “For him to be allowed to come to the UK is a really big thing. We have been petitioning for this for months, as he has been suffering in prison, but never believed the government would relent,” she was quoted as saying. When asked about how the release was secured, Laila said several governments, including India, had spoken to the government. “Both the Sri Lankan and British governments have been very supportive as well,” she said, pointing to sudden visits to Male by Sri Lankan foreign minister Mangala Samaraweera on Thursday and British state foreign minister Hugo Swire on Saturday. Meanwhile, home minister Umar Naseer insisted Saturday that the surgery could be done in Maldives, but stressed that the government was forced to grant the permission after a legal opinion by the attorney general. Attorney general Mohamed Anil had advised the government that former presidents are afforded privileges and that they can be allowed to seek medical treatment abroad even if the procedure is available from local hospitals, he added. A top government official, who wished to remain anonymous, told Haveeru that Nasheed had requested that he be allowed to travel to the UK Sunday. Arrangements are being made to send the former president Sunday evening, he added. Government’s U-turn on Nasheed came in the wake of visits by the Indian foreign secretary and two senior Sri Lankan ministers which also coincides with a visit by the Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of UK Hugo Swire who arrived earlier Sunday. Indian foreign secretary Jaishankar arrived in Maldives Monday afternoon on a one-day official visit as a special envoy of the Indian prime minister. President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom briefed Jaishankar on the political developments in the Maldives and secured the regional superpower's backing in domestic and international affairs. Sri Lankan foreign minister Mangala Samaraweera and finance minister Ravi Karunanayake arrived in Maldives Wednesday evening on an official visit. The government has come under pressure as Maldives' international partners’ calls for Nasheed’s release echoed louder after a UN panel ruled that Nasheed's detention was arbitrary. The international criticism and the UN panel ruling in September were, however, rejected by the government. Nasheed was sentenced to 13 years in prison in March for ordering the arbitrary detention of chief criminal judge Abdulla Mohamed during his presidency. The former president had filed for appeal his prison sentence after backtracking on his decision to not appeal his sentence by opting to go to the Supreme Court instead. In his appeal, Nasheed had sought a lesser penalty under the new penal code that came into effect in November. The Supreme Court had also been asked to nullify the charges lodged against him in the lower court and the subsequent sentence.