The Islamabad High Court (IHC), on Saturday, accepted the request lodged by PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif to hear the bail plea for former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the Al-Azizia corruption case.
The hearing of the bail please is scheduled to be held at 4pm today. A two member bench of the IHC, comprising of IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani, will preside over the hearing.
Life is in Danger
During the proceedings of the bail plea filed today, the two-member bench observed that a medical report had been submitted at yesterday’s hearing, and inquired the reason for filing a request for an early hearing today.
Nawaz’s counsel, lawyer Khawaja Haris claimed that the incarcerated former premier suffered a “minor heart attack” last night and his “life is in danger”. The court was also provided with a copy of the verdict issued by the Lahore High Court yesterday, which has granted bail to Nawaz in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case.
A board member speaking to the media revealed that the former premier is being treated as per the diagnosis, and he is likely to improve in a matter of days
The IHC issued notices to Prime Minister Imran Khan, Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar, and Chairman National Accountability Bureau (Retd.) Justice Javed Iqbal, directing them to present their representatives at the hearing, scheduled for 4pm today.
In his appeal to the IHC, Shahbaz has urged the court to grant bail to Nawaz in the Al-Azizia reference, in which the former premier has been imprisoned for seven years. A two-member bench of the IHC had presided over the bail plea yesterday, and upon questioning Dr. Saleem Cheema, the Medical Superintendent of Services Hospital and member of the medical board treating Nawaz, the court was adjourned until Tuesday.
In the bail plea filed today, Shahbaz has appealed the IHC to address the bail plea in the light of the former premier’s “extremely critical condition”. The petition, which was heard yesterday, did not take note of the fact that Nawaz had suffered an angina attack on the night of October 24, which occurred due to the “medicine being administered to him to enhance his platelets”.
Yesterday, the Lahore High Court had approved Shahbaz Sharif’s petition for granting bail to the former Prime Minister in the ongoing proceedings of the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case. As per the orders of accountability judge Ameer Mohammad Khan, PML-N leader Saiful Mulook Khokhar provided the Lahore High Court two surety bonds worth Rs.10 million each.
Read more: LHC Grants Nawaz Sharif Bail, but he still isn’t free
Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was moved to the Services Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS) earlier this week over complaints of his deteriorating health. On Tuesday, the doctors at the Services Hospital had said that Nawaz’s condition was “serious”, even after the transfusion of three mega units of platelets.
As per the medical tests conducted on Tuesday, Nawaz’s platelet count had “dropped from 16,000 to a critical level of 2000” when he was rushed to the hospital on Monday night. The board members divulged that the medical board had little choice except to undertake an “immediate transfusion of the platelets to save his life.”
After observing his condition for three days, a six member medical board, led by Principal Services Hospital Ayaz Mahmood, on Thursday, diagnosed Nawaz with “acute immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), a bleeding disorder that causes the immune system to destroy platelets.
Read more: Has Nawaz Sharif finally signed a deal with the establishment?
A board member speaking to the media revealed that the former premier is being treated as per the diagnosis, and he is likely to improve in a matter of days.