Accepting yet another bail plea on medical grounds, submitted by incarcerated former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday fixed the petition for hearing on Tuesday (today). The former prime minister, through his counsel Khawaja Muhammad Haris, submitted a petition with the IHC on Monday, seeking bail on medical grounds in Al-Azizia reference case, which the court accepted.
In his petition, Sharif made National Accountability Bureau (NAB), superintendent Kot Lakhpat jail and accountability court as respondents. Haris requested in his petition that Sharif is facing life-threatening ailment as the mental stress level is at such a stage which can be fatal. He also attached the advice of the doctors from United Kingdom (UK), United States (US) and Switzerland with the application. He also cited that Sharif's release on bail cannot affect the NAB case; therefore, his sentence should be suspended till the final judgement.
The Supreme Court earlier this month dismissed the 69-year-old three-time elected prime minister's review petition for permanent bail on medical grounds and permission to go abroad for getting treatment. Sharif went back to Kot Lakhpat jail on May 7 to serve his seven years prison term in the case after end of his six weeks bail, which was granted to him on medical grounds with a condition that he would not leave the country.
"According to the medical board, Nawaz is suffering from numerous diseases and the doctors have recommended that the former premier's condition is life-threatening," he added. Tension and stress can prove to be threatening to Nawaz's life, it was stated in the reports. Even Sharif's blood and sugar levels are not normal, the petition went on to add. The petition stated that all members of the special medical board, along with doctors associated with Doctors Hospital Lahore, Sheikh Zayed Hospital Lahore and National Hospital Lahore as well as medical specialists from the UK, US and Switzerland were unanimous that Sharif's treatment is not possible in the jail premises.