Al-Azizia case: IHC approves Nawaz Sharif's interim bail on medical grounds

Shehbaz Sharif had approached the court to hear plea on urgent basis

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has approved, till Tuesday, an interim bail for former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on medical grounds.

The bail was granted as none of respondents including the National Accountability Bureau and Punjab government objected to the release.

“The government is putting the responsibility on the shoulders of the judges in order to malign us,” remarked the high court’s chief justice, Ather Minallah.

The verdict comes after a stop-start day of hearings, which were adjourned thrice. The hearing was already pushed forward following a plea by brother Shehbaz on account of his brother's deteriorating health.

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif had approached the IHC on Saturday, requesting the court to hear the bail plea on urgent basis in the wake of his brother’s deteriorating health.

Punjab health minister confirms Nawaz suffered minor heart attack

The proceedings were conducted by a two-member bench, comprising chief justice Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani.

The former premier was sentenced to seven-year rigorous imprisonment by an accountability court in December last year.

Earlier, Nawaz was granted bail in the ongoing Chaudhry Sugar Mills case by the Lahore High Court. He was under the custody of accountability watchdog at its headquarters in Lahore.

The former premier was rushed to the Services Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS) earlier this week after his personal physician raised an alarm about his deteriorating health.

Reaction

Jubilant party workers distributed sweets outside the court premises as the verdict was announced.

PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb thanked party supporters and workers for praying for the health of former premier.

In a media talk after the decision, she said that although Nawaz’s platelet count had improved, his health condition was still critical.

“The Sharif family will take the final decision about his treatment at Services Hospital or elsewhere,” she said.

Interim bail granted till Tuesday. NAB eventually said we don't object to bail. That lead to order.
Reasons to be recorded later. Bail granted#تو_جئےسدا_نوازشریف

— MaizaHameed (@MaizaHameedMNA) October 26, 2019

Health issues

The former three-time premier’s health has taken a turn for the worse.

He has been diagnosed with acute immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), a bleeding disorder, in which the immune system destroys platelets.

His platelets level had reached dangerous levels as it nosedived from 20,000 to 6,000.

Nawaz has also been suffering from high blood pressure and cardiac issues.

The PML-N has been up in arms over the government’s treatment of the former PM in jail, alleging that the party supremo has been denied of adequate medical care.