Nawaz’s illness ‘not curable in Pakistan’

By News Desk

ISLAMABAD: Nawaz Sharif’s counsel Khawaja Haris pleaded before Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday that the former prime minister was suffering from multiple diseases which were not curable in Pakistan and requested the court to grant him bail.

He stated there was also a threat to Sharif’s life as he had been suffering from the “dangerous diseases” of diabetes, blood pressure and cardiac related problems. The former prime minister was currently in mental stress due to his ailment, he added.

During the hearing, the IHC division bench comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhter Kayani expressed displeasure with National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) Director General Irfan Mangi over delay in submission of bureau’s reply in Sharif’s bail plea.

The DG NAB argued that the delay was occurred due to burden of work. He, however, assured the bench that there would be no further delay as he himself would monitor such matters. Justice Farooq remarked that if one deserved for bail then there should not be delay from prosecution side in submission of answers.

Arguing on the petition seeking bail of his client on medical grounds, Sharif’s lawyer said the Supreme Court had not viewed his medical reports. Justice Farooq asked Sharif’s counsel to give arguments on the point that whether a bail plea on medical grounds could be filed again if the similar petition had been dismissed earlier. He remarked usually another petition could not be filed on the same grounds which had been rejected previously.

The bench, however, observed that the situation differed in bail petition under medical grounds. Haris argued that there were precedents in the country with regard to filing petitions under same grounds. A bail petition on medical grounds could be filed again on basis of fresh health condition of any inmate, he contended, saying this case was also depending on medical grounds. Haris said the diseases of his client were not curable in Pakistan as there were no such treatment facilities in the country. The division bench, however, adjourned hearing on Sharif’s bail plea on medical grounds in Al-Azizia Steel Mills verdict till Thursday (today). The hearing on Sharif’s main appeal against his imprisonment sentence would be heard on June 27.