Nawaz gets bail till 29th, release order issued.
Byline: Malik Asad
ISLAMABAD -- The Islamabad High Court (IHC) registrar office on Saturday evening issued a release order for ailing Nawaz Sharif after a two-judge bench granted him post-arrest interim bail till Tuesday only when the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) gave a categorical statement that the bureau's chairman did not oppose his release on humanitarian grounds and the federal government refused to take responsibility for his physical well-being.
The counsel for former prime minister and opposition party's supreme leader immediately forwarded the release order to Kot Lakhpat jail authorities while Nawaz was under treatment at Lahore Services Hospital for his low platelet count.
The court granted interim bail to him against Rs4 million surety bonds.
The IHC division bench comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani also directed Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar to appear in person, as the law officers of Punjab, the federal government and interior secretary apparently could not satisfy the court on the issue of implementing an earlier judgement that had defined guidelines for invoking the provision of rules for wellbeing of ailing prisoners.
The bench took up an application hurriedly filed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shahbaz Sharif seeking immediate release of his ailing brother who was shifted from Kot Lakhpat jail to NAB office before being admitted to Services Hospital in a critical condition.
Court repeatedly asks NAB, govt to clear their positions on Shahbaz's plea
Just a day earlier the IHC had deferred a decision on the suspension of seven-year sentence handed down to the ex-PM by an accountability court in the Al-Azizia reference as the anti-graft watchdog had sought time to file a reply on the matter, asking his personal physician to brief the court on his ailment.
The former premier had been convicted in the Al-Azizia reference by an accountability court in Islamabad on Dec 24, 2018, but he had been allowed to be shifted to Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore on his request.
Appearing before the IHC division bench, Interior Secretary retired major Suleman Azam Khan and Additional Attorney General Tariq Mehmood Khokhar argued that Nawaz Sharif being a prisoner of Kot Lakhpat jail was subject to rules of the Punjab home department besides the prosecution agency, NAB, in Al-Azizia reference.
After a preliminary hearing, the court in a written order had earlier asked Prime...
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