The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday adjourned the hearing of a petition seeking former premier Nawaz Sharif’s release on bail in the Al-Azizia reference case till Friday after removing administrative objections raised by its registrar office on a condition that PML-N supremo’s signature were required before proceedings.
The petition has been filed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif seeking his elder brother’s release on bail in the Al-Azizia reference case in which the latter has been serving a seven-year sentence in Kot Lakhpat Jail.
Shehbaz as a petitioner contended that Nawaz Sharif needed to get proper medical treatment either in Pakistan or abroad. Sharif’s release on bail also implies suspension of his seven-year sentence in the same case.
A IHC’s two-member bench comprising of Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani are scheduled to preside over the hearing of the petition despite the registrar office had earlier raised administrative objections to it that the petitioner Shehbaz Sharif was not the affected party in the case.
While removing objections, Justice Farooq asked from the petitioner’s advocate: “What would happen if Nawaz Sharif says that he had not filed any petition? […] we are removing objections but make sure to have Sharif’s signature.” “We will decide about the matter from judicial side.”
Meanwhile, the court issued notices to the concerned parties, including chief secretary, secretary of interior and medical reports from Services Hospital’s team and medical superintendent of Kot Lakhpat Jail, in the petition for responding to the matter till tomorrow.
To this, Nawaz Sharif’s advocate argued that his client could not wait for even a day due to his worsened health condition.
In the petition, the younger Sharif has contended that an appeal was already being heard against Nawaz Sharif’s sentence in the Al-Azizia case, and pleaded with the court to release his elder brother on bail till the ruling is given by the court so that he could acquire proper medical treatment in his sickness.
All medical reports of Nawaz were also included as part of the petition, which mentioned that he has been suffering from more than 12 fatal diseases and during recent imprisonment his health has deteriorated.
NAB’s chairman, NAB Lahore DG, Kot Lakhpat Jail’s superintendent and MS of the Services Hospital have been made parties in the petition.
Meanwhile, the health condition of the former prime minister deteriorated once again as his platelet count significantly dropped to less than 7,000 yesterday.
Sources told the media that the ailing Sharif might be shifted to the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute around 12 noon for further medical procedure in accordance with recommendation of a medical team examining his health condition.
PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif’s platelet count recovered to 29,000 a day before after doctors had transfused four mega units of platelets into him in Lahore’s Services hospital. The doctors had earlier claimed that Sharif’s health was satisfactory but later his platelets dropped again.
A medical board was briefed that health condition of Nawaz Sharif was critical and expert doctors were called from Islamabad.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said there was no truth to rumours that incarcerated former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was going abroad for treatment.
On Monday night, Sharif was rushed to the hospital after his platelets had dropped to a dangerously low level with his doctors raising alarming concerns.
Dr Adnan Khan, a personal physician of Sharif, had raised an alarm about his deteriorating health, urging the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government to immediately shift him to hospital for treatment.
Meanwhile, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz filed bail petition in Lahore High Court (LHC).
She has been in jail in Chaudhry Sugar Mills reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
Maryam in her petition requested the court for bail, referring to serious illness of her father and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
A division bench of the high court headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, after initial hearing of the petition issued notice to NAB for it reply and adjourned the hearing until today. Separately, the PML-N held another huddle on Thursday to discuss the deteriorating health condition of party’s supreme leader Nawaz Sharif and to craft a strategy for the upcoming Azadi March scheduled for October 31. The senior leadership of PML-N consisting of parliamentary working group of the party met under the chair of President Shehbaz Sharif at Model Town. The meeting was attended by party stalwarts Kh Asif, Ahsan Iqbal, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Maryam Aurangzeb, Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Murtaza Javed Abbasi and Ch Barjees Tahir. Shehbaz Sharif said that the party will participate in the Azadi March with full zeal as everyone wants to get rid of this incompetent government that has ruined the economy in only one year.
