Lahore, 1st September: Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has criticized the petition filed on Monday in the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
According to reports, the petition accused the Punjab government of politicizing Nawaz Sharif’s health issue as the IHC will take up appeals against his conviction in Al-Azizia and Avenfield property references today on 1st September.
The IHC division that will hear the appeals of Maryam Nawaz and retired captain Mohammad Safdar will consist of Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani.
As reported in the Dawn, apart from just hearing appeals regarding the Al-Azizia and Avenfield property, the IHC division will also take up an appeal filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against the acquittal of Nawaz Sharif in the Flagship reference.
The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), Jamaat-i-Islami, and Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed took the matter in the Supreme Court. The apex court had disqualified Nawaz Sharif as prime minister and filed 3 references against the Sharif family along with Ishaq Dar, former finance minister.
Accountability court judge Mohammad Bashir convicted Nawaz Sharif, his daughter, and son-in-law in the Avenfield reference on 6th July 2018. During that period they were with Kulsoom Nawaz who was seriously sick.
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Later they arrived in Pakistan from the United Kingdom and were sent to prison. However, the IHC released them on bail by suspending their sentence.
Nawaz Sharif was released for a period of 8 weeks last year in October on the decision of the IHC due to medical conditions. When Mr. Sharif asked the Punjab Government for an extension in his bail, he was immediately rejected.
The PTI government filed a petition against Nawaz Sharif in the Lahore High Court when he went to the UK for his treatment.
According to the petition, after the expiry of two months, the Punjab government was requested for the suspension of the sentence as the condition of Mr. Sharif’s health did not improve; however, “the government of Punjab, acting maliciously in terms of its planned strategy, proceeded to reject the applicant’s application”.
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The petition that tried to explain why there was a delay in Mr. Sharif’s treatment said, “While the initial medical examination and diagnosis preparatory to the applicant’s treatment had been conducted in the UK, and treatment options for the multiple ailments from which the applicant was suffering were being finalized, further progress in this regard came to a halt on account of the COVID-19 pandemic that first appeared in the UK in the first week of February 2020 and which thereafter led to the virtual and then complete lockdown.”
It said the Punjab government was aware of the fact “but instead of awaiting the decision of the Hon’ble Lahore High Court, the government of Punjab proceeded to unilaterally reject the applicant’s request in pursuance of its ulterior motives and pre-planned agenda to malign the applicant”.
Nawaz Sharif claimed that he was ready to fly back to Pakistan as soon as his medical team allowed him too. Since he has not gotten the permission to return before 5th September, he has asked the court to either let his pleader represent him or wait for Mr. Sharif to arrive so he can attend the proceedings.
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