The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday granted interim bail to former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the Al-Azizia Mills case on medical grounds until Tuesday. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani heard Shehbaz Sharif's urgent petition for bail of his brother on medical grounds. The court accepted the bail plea until Tuesday against two bail bonds worth Rs 2 million. The bench asked the counsel for federal and the Punjab governments, National Accountability Bureau Chairman that if they oppose the bail application then submit affidavits that if anything happens to former prime minister, they would be held responsible. For that matter the case was adjourned thrice.
During the course of hearing, the IHC chief justice said that if the government opposes the bail plea, the court will dismiss the petition for Sharif's bail. "During this time period, if anything happens to Sharif, the government and NAB will be held responsible," remarked the IHC CJ. He further said that ministers have been trying to place the entire matter in the court's jurisdiction, which is why 'a yes or no' answer is needed.
Additional Attorney General Tariq Khokkhar told the court that the federal government has nothing to do with this entire matter and they 'cannot take any responsibility'. The court then ordered the Additional Advocate General Punjab Faisal Chaudhry to take clear directions from Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar.
Justice Minallah said the institutions are trying to shift their responsibility onto the judiciary. The Punjab government under the Prison Rules could suspend the sentence and release Sharif on parole. "In such a situation, the matter should not be moved to the court," he said.
Interior Secretary said he could not take responsibility. However, Additional Prosecutor General NAB told the court that the NAB chairman has no objection if Sharif is granted bail on humanitarian grounds. The bench directed Additional Attorney General and Additional Advocate Generals Punjab to file comprehensive replies within two weeks.
The IHC directed TV anchors Hamid Mir, Kashif Abbasi, Sami Ibrahim, Amir Mateen and Muhammad Malik for filing written replies to the contempt notice for giving statement that a deal had been signed between Sharif and the government. The anchors were asked to substantiate their claim if there was any deal between Sharif and the government. The bench ordered Chairman Pemra to appear in person on next date of hearing and file a reply that why no action was taken against the TV anchors for airing statements against the judiciary.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday filed an application for the early hearing of a bail petition, which the CJ Athar Minallah accepted and fixed for hearing for 12:30pm.
After hearing the arguments of Shehbaz's counsel, the court issued notices to Prime Minister Imran Khan, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and NAB Chairman former Justice Javed Iqbal and directed them to send a representative to court by 4pm.
A two-member bench of the IHC on Friday heard Nawaz Sharif's bail petition in the Al-Azizia case after questioning Services Hospital Medical Superintendent (MS) Dr Saleem Cheema, who is part of the medical board treating Nawaz, the high court had adjourned hearing until Tuesday (October 29). On Friday, the Lahore High Court granted bail to former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case on medical grounds.
Shahbaz Sharif on Saturday filed an application. He urged the court to take up the bail plea today (yesterday) owing to Nawaz's "extremely critical condition". It said that the plea, which was heard yesterday, did not mention that on the night of October 24, Nawaz had suffered an angina attack "as a direct result of the medicine being administered to him to enhance his platelets".
He pleaded that his brother, Nawaz Sharif's, health was deteriorating day by day and he has serious threat to his life because of poor health condition. The petitioner also annexed an 11-member medical board's report with his petition.
A fresh report was submitted before the court regarding the health condition of Nawaz Sharif while the counsel for Nawaz Sharif also presented copy of the judgment of the Lahore High Court. At this, the bench asked the counsel whether the other two parties opposed his bail on medical grounds; on which, the counsel said that "they opposed but not vigorously".
On October 21, Nawaz Sharif fell ill after his platelets level dropped sharply and he was shifted to Services Hospital from NAB's detention center for his immediate treatment. Nawaz Sharif's health, the doctors said, is quite serious. The doctors said that he might suffer heart attack because of continuous angina pain.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019