A division bench of the Lahore High Court on Thursday called report from a medical board conducting treatment of Nawaz Sharif at Services Hospital on Friday (today) on petition of PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif seeking bail for his elder brother Nawaz Sharif on medical grounds in Chaudhry Sugar Mills (CSM) case.
The bench directed the Advocate General Punjab to submit a report on behalf of the medical board assigned to treat Nawaz Sharif and also ensure presence of Dr Ayaz heading the medical board on Friday (today).
The bench also sought reply from the NAB on petition of Maryam Nawaz also seeking bail in the same case of sugar mills.
Pleading the petition of Maryam Nawaz, her counsel argued that the petitioner had a basic right to look after her father (Nawaz Sharif).
The legal team of the Sharif family on Thursday citing urgency in the matter requested the court to hear the petitions same day.
Earlier, the bench questioned the maintainability of the petition filed by Shahbaz Sharif and asked his counsel as to why Nawaz Sharif did not approach the court himself.
The counsel argued that Nawaz Sharif had been under treatment at the hospital and his health condition did permit him to sign a power of attorney. He also cited several judgments of the high courts wherein petitions by immediate family members had been entertained.
The bench, however, observed that the cases cited by the counsel were related to illegal detention and in the instant case the aggrieved person was in lawful custody of the NAB.
The counsel reiterated that the matter pertained to death and life and added Nawaz Sharif was not in reach due to regular treatment.
To a court's query, the counsel said Professor Dr Mahmood Ayaz was leading the medical board while a senior specialist of bone marrow transplant from Karachi also joined it.
Advocate General of Punjab and a prosecution of the NAB made their appearance on a short notice of the bench.
Shahbaz Sharif in the petition asked the court to release his brother on bail for the purpose of his treatment by a medical expert in Pakistan or abroad as per his choice.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019