Al-Azizia verdict: Nawaz again urges SC for early hearing of bail plea

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Monday again requested the Supreme Court for an early hearing of his petition against the Islamabad High Court verdict that had dismissed his bail petition in the Al-Azizia corruption reference.

Nawaz submitted that since his health has worsened, his petition be fixed in the next week. The ex-premier recalled that earlier he had filed a petition on March 1, 2019, praying for fixation of the case on March 6, 2019 but his application was rejected and it was observed that it would be fixed on its turn. “Since the rejection of the aforesaid application his medical condition has worsened and, as such, the instant application is being filed with the prayer that in view of the urgency involved in this case the titled application may be directed to be fixed in the next week,” Nawaz Sharif submitted.

His counsel Khawaja Haris filed the application under Article 185(3) of the Constitution for leave to appeal against the Feb 25 judgment passed by a two-member bench of Islamabad High Court. The two-member IHC bench comprised Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani. Similarly, he had also filed an application for an early hearing of his petitions.

Nawaz was sentenced to seven years in prison and fined Rs1.5 billion and US$25 million in Al-Azizia corruption reference by Accountability Court-II on December 24, 2018. He made Chairman National Accountability Bureau, Accountability Court-II judge as well as the Superintendent Kot Lakhpat Jail, Lahore as respondents in the case.