Al-Azizia
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court issued a notice to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) today concerning Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif’s petitions for protective bail in the Al-Azizia and Avenfield references. The IHC will conduct a hearing on the petition on Thursday (Oct 19).
Nawaz Sharif’s legal team submitted these protective bail petitions to the IHC, aiming to prevent his arrest upon his planned return to the country on October 21.
During the bail plea hearing, IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb issued the notice to the NAB. The Bureau initiated references against the former Prime Minister.
Amjad Pervez, the lawyer representing PML-N’s chief, appealed to the IHC bench for the grant of protective bail, as Nawaz Sharif intends to surrender before the court.
Nawaz Sharif was declared a proclaimed offender by the IHC in the Avenfield and Al-Azizia cases due to non-compliance after he traveled to London for medical treatment with the court’s approval in November 2019.
In the Avenfield and Al-Azizia references, Nawaz Sharif received sentences of 10 and seven years in prison, respectively, from an accountability court in 2018.
His appeals against these convictions were dismissed by the IHC bench, comprising IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, due to his non-compliance.
In the Al-Azizia reference, Nawaz Sharif’s sentence was suspended on medical grounds in 2019 by the Lahore High Court (LHC), granting him permission to travel to London for medical treatment, after which he did not return.
Furthermore, Nawaz Sharif was also declared a proclaimed offender in the Toshakhana case, and a separate bail petition has been filed in an accountability court.
Nawaz Sharif’s three protective bail applications seek the IHC’s direction to prevent his arrest at the airport upon his return to the country on October 21, thus enabling him to surrender before the court.
Earlier, PML-N lawyers today filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court seeking protective bail for Nawaz Sharif, former prime minister and N-League’s top leader.
In the petition, the lawyers urged the court to grant protective bail to Nawaz Sharif to reach the court for personal appearance.
Nawaz Sharif is scheduled to land in Islamabad on Oct 21. PML-N lawyers are trying to get protective bail for their leader before he reaches the capital city of Pakistan.
