Punjab govt rejects Nawaz’s bail extension request

LAHORE: The Punjab cabinet on Tuesday decided against allowing further bail extension to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif over medical grounds citing the PML-N supremo’s alleged failure to provide required medical reports.

The provincial cabinet took the decision in its weekly meeting chaired by Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Ahmed Khan Buzdar after a three-member team tasked to deal with matters concerning the ex-premier’s health presented its report.

Punjab Law Minister Muhammad Basharat Raja at a joint news conference with Provincial Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid and Provincial Information Minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan announced the committee had decided the PML-N supremo’s bail could not be further extended.

Raja said the cabinet had decided to not extend Sharif’s bail as there was no further legal or medical basis for the same due to lack of concrete proof as the ex-premier was not admitted to any hospital in London.

The law minister claimed Sharif’s personal physician did not maintain contact with the government, adding medical board was also not satisfied with the reports submitted by the former prime minister’s team.

Raja said the government would approach court to declare Sharif an absconder, adding since his departure for medical treatment several months ago, the former premier was not admitted to any hospital in the British capital. He said medical board held multiple meetings and examined Sharif’s medical reports which were provided before his departure. He said following the rejection of Sharif’s application, his earlier granted bail would ultimately be cancelled.

He explained according to the initial court order the former premier was granted eight-week bail by the Islamabad High Court on October 29, 2019, but another eight weeks had passed since then as discussions were under way. After the passage of 16 weeks, the law minister said the provincial government wanted to be informed about developments regarding Sharif’s health to decide on an extension. He said the Punjab cabinet decided there was no legal, moral or medical basis without any concrete proof for further bail extension. He said the provincial government would now share its decision with the federal government which would decide on the matter.

“We have repeatedly asked his physician Dr Adnan Khan about the cardiac procedure. Dr Adnan failed to give any particular date,” said the law minister. He said PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah recently told the media that the party supremo would undergo a cardiac procedure on February 24. However, he added, when the government asked Dr Adnan he refused to share a specific date and said the operation would be lined up in the next two to three weeks. “As you can see no cardiac surgery has been done.”

Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmeen Rashid said the issue of Sharif’s bail extension would be decided by court. She said the PML-N leader failed to produce any medical report to justify his request for extension in bail.

The health minister maintained Sharif had been in a stable condition since he left the country. “We have not received any fresh reports from Nawaz Sharif since he went to UK,” she informed.

Following the Punjab government’s announcement, PML-N Punjab President Rana Sanaullah said the party would challenge the decision in the high court after discussions.