Daily Times

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday approved the interim bail of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on medical grounds until Tuesday in the Al Azizia reference.

A two-member divisional bench comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani accepted the bail plea until Tuesday against two bail bonds worth Rs 2 million, asking the federal and Punjab governments to send a concrete answer related to the plea.

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif had approached the court for an early hearing regarding the disposition of the former prime minister sentence.

During the hearing, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Additional Prosecutor General said that the authority has no objection to the bail of Nawaz Sharif on medical grounds. Following the decision, the PML-N submitted the bail bonds in the case. Earlier, the court began its hearing on PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif’s plea for the bail of the former prime minister. The former Punjab chief minister had also attached the 11-member board’s medical report in his petition. In his plea, PML-N President Shehbaz had stated that the hearing should be held on Saturday due to the former prime minister’s deteriorating health condition. During the hearing, the IHC chief justice said if the government opposes the bail plea then the court will dismiss the petition. “During this time period, if anything happens to Nawaz Sharif, then the government and the NAB will be responsible,” remarked the court’s top judge, adding that ministers have been trying to place the entire matter on the court’s jurisdiction, which is why a ‘yes or no’ answer is required.

Following which, the AAG NAB responded that the federal government has nothing to do with this entire matter and they ‘cannot take any responsibility’. The court then ordered the AAG to take clear directions from Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar.

Chief Justice Athar Minallah remarked that the provincial government is empowered to dispose of a prisoner’s sentence, therefore the issue should have never come before the court. Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani asked why was there an urgency in holding hearing into the case. To this, the lawyer of the petitioner informed the court that the former prime minister has suffered a minor heart attack, and his health has further deteriorated after Friday.

Following the court decision, Attorney General of Pakistan Anwar Mansoor said that the federal government is unaware about the case, expressing dissatisfaction over the way the case was handled. He further said that neither the federation received a notice regarding the case nor was it a party in the matter. He said the NAB told that the former prime minister is under the custody of the Punjab government. He that if summoned by the court, the federal government’s representative will appear before it.

Meanwhile, PML-N’s Marriyum Aurangzeb thanked people for praying for Nawaz Sharif’s health. A large number of PML-N workers gathered outside the Services Hospital in Lahore and celebrated the decision announced by the IHC.

On December 24, 2018, an accountability court had sentenced Nawaz to seven years in prison in the Al Azizia Steel Mills corruption reference while acquitting him in the Flagship reference.