The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday will resume hearing of a fresh (second) petition filed by former premier Nawaz Sharif, seeking his release from the Kot Lakhpat Jail on medical grounds in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills case.

Earlier, a two-judge IHC bench comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani issued a notice to the federal government, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the superintendent of the jail to submit the response on the matter within two weeks.

On June 4, Sharif’s doctor took to Twitter, after examining him at the jail, and stated: “His life is at risk. This is a warning.”

“Yesterday around 04 AM in the morning he felt unwell & breathless, requested guards to open cell door as he choked,” tweeted Dr Adnan Khan. “It took awhile for him to settle after using sublingual nitrate spray.”

Responding to the doctor’s statement, Sharif’s daughter Maryam Nawaz lamented that she had not been allowed to meet her father despite his precarious health.

On March 26, the Supreme Court had granted him a six-week bail on medical grounds, which ended on May 7.

It is to be mentioned here that that forme PM had moved IHC seeking suspension of his sentence in Al-Azizia reference.

NAB chairman and Kot Lakhpat Jail superintendent were made parties in the plea.

Contrarily, the NAB has also challenged Sharif’s acquittal in the Flagship Reference.

On Dec 24 last year, accountability court judge Arshad Malik had convicted Sharif in the Al-Azizia/Hill Metal Establishment reference. The court sentenced him seven-year imprisonment, besides imposing a fine of Rs1.5 billion and $25 million on him. The accountability court, however, acquitted him in the Flagship Investment and other London-based companies owned by his children.

Besides, he was also disqualified from holding any public office for the period of 10 years. The disqualification will go into effect following his release from jail after serving the seven-year sentence.