Nawaz Sharif's protective bail petition filed in IHC

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s petition for protective bail in Avenfield and Al-Azizia references has been filed in Islamabad High Court (IHC), ARY News reported.

Petition seeks approval of protective bail from the high court for Sharif’s surrender to the law.

Former prime minister has pleaded for bail to face the cases against him, seeking court’s restraining order from arrest as he could approach the court.

According to the plea, Nawaz Sharif will land in Islamabad on October 21.

He is arriving in Islamabad in a special flight. His lawyers have pleaded to the court for fixing the hearing today.

Bail petition was filed by Nawaz Sharif’s lawyers including Amjad Pervaiz and Azam Nazir Tarar.

Former federal minister Marriyum Aurangzeb has said that Ataullah Tarar filed the bail petition as special attorney after undergoing biometrics.

Nawaz Sharif was convicted by accountability courts in Avenfield and Al-Azizia references.

Accountability court had awarded 10 years jail term with eight million Pounds fine to Nawaz Sharif in Avenfield case and 07 years sentence in Al-Azizia reference.

The court had also disqualified Nawaz Sharif for holding public office for 10 years.

A division bench of the Islamabad High Court had heard Nawaz Sharif’s appeals against sentences earlier. The court had dismissed his appeals on June 23,2021 over his failure to appear in the high court due to his prolonged stay in London.

Sharif has also pleaded for restoration of his appeals against conviction dismissed earlier.

On September 29 last year, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) while granting appeals had acquitted Maryam Nawaz and Captain Safdar by nullifying the sentence awarded by an accountability court in the Avenfield reference.

The verdict stated that the sentencing of Maryam Nawaz and Capt Retd Safdar was unfair, and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was failed to prove its case.

The bench comprised of Justice Aamir Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani had announced the verdict after hearing arguments from both the sides.