Nawaz Sharif granted bail on medical grounds

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday suspended Nawaz Sharif's sentence in Al-Azizia reference  for six weeks and granted him bail  on medical grounds.

Read Detailed Verdict Here

A three-judge bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa reserved the decision after Sharif's lawyer and NAB prosecutors  completed their arguments.

Also read: LHC orders removal of Shehbaz Sharif's name from ECL

According to the orders, Nawaz Sharif would not be allowed to leave the country after being released on bail.

The court ordered him to submit Rs5 million surety bonds . Nawaz Sharif will have to surrender before law after expiry of his bail period.

The orders said he would be arrested if he failed to surrender before the law.

Detailed Verdict 

If his health does not improve, Nawaz Sharif can file a new application for extension in his bail period. 

During the hearing on the bail plea, the Chief Justice asked Sharif's lawyer to prove that his  client's health is worsening keeping in view the fact that his medical condition dates back to 2003 while he was sentenced in 2018.

"You want  bail. We can order his (Nawaz Sharif) treatment from any hospital of his choice in Pakistan," the CJP was quoted by TV channels as saying.

When Khawaja Haris refereed to a letter of Nawaz Sharif's physicist Dr Lawrence, the Chief Justice asked  him  to explain the legal status of the letter.

He said how can the letter be produced as evidence when it was not addressed to the court. 

He said Dr Lawrence's letter was written to one Adnan, which is a private communication between two individuals.

"Nawaz Sharif's reports say he is suffering from heart disease but we want to know whether his life is in danger. 

Tell us how is his situation different from his medical history. How is his health worsening," the CJ was quoted as having told the lawyer.

Khawaja Haris said angina attacks can damage Nawaz Sharif's  heart. "All medical boards have said Nawaz Sharrif's angiography is necessary".

The NAB prosecutor, however, opposed the  the bail plea saying Sharif has no life threatening illness. 

The Islamabad High Court on February 25 had dismissed Nawaz Sharif’s petition seeking bail and suspension of seven year sentence in Al-Azizia reference on medical grounds.

During the last hearing on March 19, headed by Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, a three-judged bench summoned a response from National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

NAB has said that Nawaz has no life-threatening condition. The former prime minister wants to go abroad; the accountability bureau further said and urged that his application be rejected.