Al-Azizia reference: IHC to hear plea against Nawaz Sharif’s sentence

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday will hear plea against sentence of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in Al-Azizia reference on Monday (today). A two-member bench will hear the case and the debate on Judge Arshad Malik’s press release and affidavit will be initiated from today. However, the court will also hear the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) against Nawaz Sharif’s acquittal in Flagship reference today. It is pertinent to mention here that a plea seeking exemption of Nawaz Sharif from the hearing has also been submitted in the court. Sharif who is in London for medical treatment for the seventh day, had earlier visited two hospitals in the city for medical tests. The former prime minister will undergo Positron-Emission Tomography (PET) scan this week which will help in diagnosing the disease. A Swiss doctor had also checked Sharif at his residence recently. On October 26, a two-member bench of the IHC granted interim bail to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and suspended his sentence on medical grounds till October 29 in the Al-Azizia reference case. Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani heard the plea. The court ordered to submit two surety bonds worth Rs two million each. The court also summoned Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar in person. It also sought a report on all prisoners from provincial governments. After resumption of the hearing for fourth time, the NAB prosecutor told court that they do not oppose the bail on humanitarian grounds. Earlier, Chief Justice Athar Minallah remarked that the court will reject the bail if the government opposes the bail. “The NAB and the government will be held responsible if anything happens to Nawaz Sharif,” he remarked. He remarked that all ministers were issuing the statements to shift the responsibility onto courts. “The government should clearly give the reply either positive or negative,” he said. The additional attorney general said that the federal government had no role in the matter. The court asked the additional attorney general either to take responsibility or oppose the bail.