ISLAMABAD - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Wednesday deferred hearing till June 27 in the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s petition seeking his release in the Al-Azizia reference on bail on medical grounds.
A division bench of the IHC comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani conducted the hearing of the fresh petition moved by Sharif’s counsel Khawaja Haris Advocate.
However, the IHC bench adjourned the hearing on the petition seeking suspension of his sentence in the reference till June 27.
During the hearing, Director General (DG) National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Irfan Mangi appeared before the court and assured timely submission of replies by the NAB in future.
He tendered his apology over the delayed submission of the reply by NAB and the bench accepted the same.
Meanwhile, Nawaz Sharif also filed an application in the IHC to submit additional documents in the plea seeking bail suspension on medical grounds. The petition filed by Nawaz’s lawyer, Munawar Iqbal, requested the court to grant approval to submit a verified medical report from a foreign doctor.
The petition also asked for a medical certificate from Aurora Healthcare Lahore to be part of the record. It requested that permission should be given to provide additional records so that justice can be ensured.
According to the medical reports, doctors have earlier said that Sharif’s condition was quite critical and claimed that Nawaz is suffering from numerous diseases that could prove to be threatening to the incarcerated former PM’s life.
The recommendations of the specialist doctors hailing from the United Kingdom and the United States have also been attached with the plea.
The petition said quoting the doctors that Nawaz is facing life threats owing to his worsening health and his treatment is not possible in the prison while Sharif wanted to get himself treated from the same doctors who treated him in the past, abroad.
Therefore, he prayed to the court to suspend the sentence awarded to him by the accountability court and release him on bail pending the final decision of his appeal against the said conviction and sentence.