Nawaz Sharif challenges IHC decision over his bail petition

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: The deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif has challenged the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) decision bail petition seeking bail in Supreme Court, on Friday.

Earlier on 25 February, Islamabad high court had rejected Nawaz Sharif’s plea seeking suspension of sentence in Al-Azizia reference on medical grounds.

Khawaja Haris, legal counsel of Nawaz Sharif filed a petition in Supreme Court today to challenge the IHC decision.

Sharif, in his petition, has made the federation, National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the accountability court judge and the superintendent jail as parties in the case.

The petition said that the petitioner has been imprisoned and suffering from serious health problems, for which several medical tests were conducted.

The plea said that the high court failed to use its authority and committed an error in exercise of its authority while giving the decision.

The petition also argued that the high court resorted to wrong application of the parameters set by the Supreme Court and didn’t take the principles of bail in consideration. The court perceived that the petitioner have facilities available at hospital for his medical treatment, while the required treatment yet to begin.

The petition contended that the former prime minister immediately required medical treatment, the failure in it could inflict irreparable damage to his health.

The petition seeks the apex court to declare the Islamabad High Court’s decision as void.

A division bench of the IHC comprising Justice Amir Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani, dismissed the plea of the former premier, stating that the bail cannot be granted on medical basis.

Sharif is currently imprisoned at Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore.

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