IHC rejects Nawaz's bail plea in Al-Azizia reference

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday rejected former premier Nawaz Sharif’s plea seeking suspension of sentence in Al-Azizia reference on medical grounds.

The IHC division bench, comprising Justice Amir Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani, dismissed the plea today, stating that the bail can not be granted on medical basis.

“Nawaz Shairf is not suffering from any disease which can not be treated in Pakistan,” the bench observed.

The high court had reserved the verdict on Nawaz’s plea on February 20.

The security was beefed up in and around the high court today with the deployment of additional contingents in the area.

The former premier is currently admitted in Jinnah Hospital Lahore after being transferred from Kot Lakhpat jail on February 15 owing to his illness. The decision to shift Sharif to hospital, had been taken on the recommendation of the medical board.

Sharif had first filed an appeal with the IHC challenging his conviction in the case. Later, he submitted a petition in the court seeking bail as an interim relief. The former PM’s lawyer sought bail of his client with a request to the court to separately hear the bail plea. However, the court in its fresh order ruled that the petition will be heard along with the first appeal Mr. Sharif had filed.

Read More: Nawaz Sharif sentenced to seven years in prison in Al-Azizia reference case

Earlier, an accountability court in Islamabad pronounced a seven-year jail term and to the former premier and ordered him to pay $25million and Rs1.5 billion as fine in Al-Azizia reference on December 24.