IHC approved interim bail of Nawaz Sharif till Tuesday on medical ground.

Islamabad -- The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday granted former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif interim bail till Tuesday on medical grounds.

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif had approached the IHC on Saturday, requesting the court to hear the bail plea on urgent basis in the wake of his brother's deteriorating health.

The bench was hearing a petition seeking the suspension of former prime minister's sentence in the Al-Azizia reference and his release on bail.

The proceedings were conducted by a two-member bench, comprising chief justice Athar Minallah and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani.

The former premier was sentenced to seven-year rigorous imprisonment by an accountability court in December last year. The court had excluded Justice Aamir Farooq, as he is on a holiday.

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif had approached the court for an early hearing regarding the disposition of former premier Nawaz Sharif's sentence today.

In Saturday hearing, the court accepted the bail plea until Tuesday against two bail bonds worth Rs2 million.

During the hearing, Additional Prosecutor General of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) said that the authority has no objection to the bail of Nawaz Sharif on medical grounds.

During the hearing, the IHC chief justice said that if the government opposes the bail plea then the court will dismiss the petition for Nawaz's bail. 'During this time period, if anything happens to Nawaz Sharif then the government and the NAB will be responsible,' remarked the court's top judge.

He further said that ministers have been trying to place the entire matter on the court's jurisdiction, which is why 'a yes or no' answer is needed.

Following which, the AAG responded that the federal government has nothing to do with this entire matter and they 'cannot take any responsibility'.

The court ordered the AAG to take clear directions from Chief Minister Punjab...