–Plea filed in SC says ‘unforgivable damage’ will occur if ex-PM is not allowed medical treatment in London
ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday approached the Supreme Court (SC) for an extension in his six-week bail in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption reference.
In a plea filed at the apex court, the former premier called upon the bench to extend his bail, expiring on May 7, until the verdict of his review petition of the March 26 order which seeks permission for Nawaz to leave the country in addition to the permanent bail on health grounds.
The top court will hear his plea on May 3. The petition will be heard by a three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Asif Saeed Khosa.
Nawaz, who is suffering from ailing health, had sought the SC’s permission to go abroad for medical treatment through a bail petition.
“Given the complicated and life-threatening nature of ischemic heart disease, carotid artery disease, lymphadenopathy and renal artery stenosis, from which the petitioner [Nawaz Sharif] is admittedly suffering […] it is in the interest of justice that condition imposed for the petitioner’s release on bail merits review,” argued the review petition filed by Nawaz through his lead counsel Khawaja Haris.
According to the application “unforgivable damage” will occur if the petitioner was not allowed to go abroad for treatment. He said there was hope that the review petition filed in the SC would be accepted.
On March 26, the Supreme Court had suspended Sharif’s sentence and granted him bail for six weeks — but with a condition that he would not leave Pakistan during that period.
Nawaz through his counsel moved the court on April 25, seeking permanent bail as well as permission to go abroad for treatment. According to the medical reports affixed with the petition, “In our opinion, given Nawaz’s multiple co-morbidities, any form or degree of stressful situation, physical or psychological, will significantly potentiate the disease and enhance the risk factors leading to the chances of a sudden cardiac death or significant cardiovascular/ cerebrovascular morbidities vis-s-vis multiple debilitating co-morbidities.”
The medical report had described that Nawaz requires round-the-clock cardiac monitoring and he also needs day-to-day specialist care for his uncontrolled diabetes and hypertension. He needs special dietary management and daily titration of insulin dose whereas his medications have been optimised with strict dietary restrictions and he is also advised stress management.
Seeking relief from top court in the matter, Khawaja Haris had pleaded, “The only feasible option available to the petitioner is to be treated by the same set of medical practitioners who had been treating him earlier in the UK, and, accordingly, it is in the interest of justice that the further condition imposed for the petitioner’s release on bail in the order of March 26 it is made clear that during this period the petitioner shall not leave or be allowed to leave the country and restricting him to get his medical treatment in Pakistan also merits review.”
