Nawaz Sharif moves SC against IHC order

Requests to be released on bail during pendency of his criminal appeal in Al-Azizia case

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has requested the Supreme Court to set aside February 25 order of the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) that declined to suspend Nawaz’s conviction in Al-Azizia reference case in view of his health condition.

Nawaz, who is incarcerated in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail, had been refused bail relief after an IHC division bench – comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani – ruled that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader’s medical report did not show that his life was in danger.

The verdict said in Nawaz Sharif’s case unusual circumstances could not be proved and in the light of the Supreme Court’s recent verdicts, the court could not grant him release on bail. Nawaz Sharif has medical treatment facilities available to him. He does not qualify to be released on medical grounds, it said.

“The petitioner has a history of various cardiac complications and is a chronic kidney patient and has high blood pressure and diabetes. All the medical reports of the petitioner confirm that he has the above history and is also recommended for medical treatment."

"None of the reports suggest that continued incarceration of the petitioner, in any way, would be detrimental to his life. The petitioner has been hospitalised time and again since January, 2019, whenever he made complaints about his indisposition.



“In fact, the reports of board of doctors and various teams constituted, are indicative of the fact that petitioner is receiving best possible medical treatment available to any individual in Pakistan. The referred fact cannot be regarded as an ‘extraordinary situation’ and/or case of ‘extreme hardship’.”

Challenging the IHC order, the former PM has requested the SC to annul the IHC decision of dismissing his bail. He said he is suffering from complicated diseases due to which, the doctors have recommended him angiography.

“It is prayed…that the leave may very kindly be granted against judgement dated 25.02.2019 passed by the learned division bench of the IHC, Islamabad in Writ Petition No.352/2019 and by converting this petition into appeal, the impugned judgement dated 25.02.2019 may very kindly be set aside.”

The petition also requests that execution of the sentence of the petitioner, passed by the Accountability Court No II on December 24 may be suspended and he may be released on bail while his criminal appeal is pending decision at the IHC.

The accountability court on December 24 convicted Nawaz Sharif in the Al-Azizia reference, and subsequently sentenced him to seven-year-imprisonment while acquitted him in the Flagship reference cases filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

NAB had filed three cases – Avenfield, Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship references – against the Sharifs in line with the July 28, 2017 verdict of the Supreme Court in Panamagate case.