Nawaz granted interim bail till Tuesday on human rights grounds

ISLAMABAD, Oct 26 (APP): The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Saturday granted former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif an interim bail till coming Tuesday on human rights grounds in Al-Azizia Steel Mills reference verdict.

The IHC’s division bench comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Mohsin Akhter Kiyani granted the interim bail against two surety bonds worth Rs2 millions each on a miscellaneous application filed by Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz’s (PMLN) president Shahbaz Sharif for early hearing of Nawaz Sharif’s bail plea.

The court directed federal and provincial governments and NAB to submit clear answers to the court regarding the bail petition of Nawaz Sharif on medical grounds.

During the course of proceeding, additional attorney general and additional prosecutor general National Accountability Bureau submitted that the federation and NAB had no objections over the bail on grounds of human rights.

The chief justice remarked that it was the responsibility of Punjab government to implement the law related to prisoners.

Nawaz Sharif Granted Bail by LHC

He said the Punjab government could itself grant bail against surety bonds to any prisoner whose life was at risk.

The bench observed that the prisoners of death sentence were also entitled to get bails on human rights grounds.

Earlier, the bench sought reply from federation, NAB and Punjab government on the bail petition of Nawaz Sharif.

The court directed the three respondents to tell the bench whether they oppose the plea or not. If the respondents took responsibility of Sharif’s health and opposed the bail plea then this court would dismissed the petition, the chief justice remarked.

The chief justice said all the responsibility shouldn’t be shifted on shoulders of the court. If the three respondents opposed the petition then they had to submit affidavit for taking responsibility of Nawaz Sharif’s health.

Additional Advocate General (AAG) Qasim Chohan submitted that the Punjab government was not able to oppose or support this petition so far.

Additional attorney general adopted the stance that the federal government had no role in this matter.
Secretary Ministry of Interior said the government couldn’t take responsibility regarding the health of Nawaz Sharif. He prayed the court to decide the petition on merit.

Justice Kiyani said the state was responsible for protection of lives and property of all citizens of the country.

The chief justice asked secretary interior that whether he opposed the petition to which the senior official said this time he couldn’t give any statement regarding the matter.

Justice Minallah said this type of petition should have not come to this court as it was the powers of provincial government to suspend the sentence of any prisoner on medical grounds.

Earlier, the petitioner’s lawyer pleaded before the bench that Nawaz Sharif’s health had been deteriorated further since last day.

Nawaz Sharif receives best medical care in Pakistan: Humayun Akhtar

He said the former prime minister had suffered from minor heart attack, adding his client’s life was at risk.

It may be mentioned here that a medical team of Services Hospital Lahore had informed the court on last hearing that a five-day treatment cycle of former prime minister would conclude on Monday and after this it would be able to submit a detailed medical report of the prisoner.

Nawaz Sharif receives best medical care in Pakistan: Humayun Akhtar