ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif Wednesday moved a petition before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) requesting it to "forgo requirement of the applicant's surrender" by September 10th in the Al-Azizia reference.
In his petition, Sharif told the court that he "shall return to Pakistan and personally face all his cases as soon as he regains health." A division bench of IHC comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani would hear ex-PM's petition filed through his counsel Khawaja Haris on Thursday (today).
The review petition was filed a day before the deadline given by the IHC to Nawaz to surrender before the court.
The IHC had granted Nawaz an "opportunity" to surrender and present himself before the court by September 10th.
The petition included recent medical reports and requested the court to go ahead with the hearings in the presence of the former prime minister's counsels. Sharif told the court that the undertaking that was taken from him had included the condition that the government would first check in on his health.
He added that the federal government had not made any efforts in that matter.
"The federal government does not have any authentic information about my health," he adopted in his petition.
He also added that the doctors had not issued any certificate that would declare him "fit" to return home.
The petition stated that owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, Nawaz's medical procedure was delayed and with the ongoing lockdown in the UK he had still not been able to get admission in any hospital in the country for treatment.
It argued that in accordance to the actual wording of the undertaking it was a precondition for a representative of the Pakistan High Commission to get involved that first the government had "any credible information that Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif is living abroad despite his fitness to travel".
The petition also stated that there was no such report by any high commission official, and nothing remotely indicated that the government had asked the high commission to carry out such an inquiry.
The medical reports attached with the application also included advice of American cardiologist Dr Fayyaz Shaal.
The US doctor has said that the former prime minister needs an angiography and a surgery, in case, it is needed.
"Nawaz Sharif should not travel at all in this situation," suggested the doctor.
He added that he agreed with the former prime minister's physician Dr Lawrence in London.
The cardiologist said that the PML-N leader should not return to Pakistan till his angiography was done in the UK, adding that travelling amid the coronavirus pandemic was also dangerous.
He added that Nawaz Sharif was under extreme stress and it might increase if he returned to Pakistan.
It was September 1st, when the IHC bench had directed Sharif to appear before it on September 10th, warning that otherwise, it would declare him an absconder and also initiate action against those who acted as guarantors, when the PML-N leader was granted bail by the court.
"We deem [it] appropriate that an opportunity be granted to the appellant [Nawaz] to appear before the court and surrender to the authorities before the next date of hearing," said the court order.
It added, "Failing this, proceedings would be initiated against him in accordance with law including but not limited to the provisions of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Ordinance, 1999."
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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