–Court irked by NAB’s delay in submission of reply in ousted PM’s bail plea on medical grounds
ISLAMABAD: Ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s counsel Khawaja Haris on Wednesday pleaded before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that his client was suffering from multiple diseases, which were not curable in Pakistan, and prayed the court to grant him bail.
He stated that there was also a threat to Nawaz’s life as he was suffering from diabetes, blood pressure and cardiac-related problems. The former prime minister was currently in metal stress due to his ailment, he added.
During the hearing, the bench expressed displeasure with National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Rawalpindi Director General Irfan Mangi over the delay in submission of reply in Nawaz’s bail plea. The NAB official told the court that the delay happened due to burden of work. However, he assured the bench that there would be no further delay in filing the reply as he would supervise the matter himself.
Justice Aamer Farooq remarked that if an accused deserves bail then there should not be any delay from the prosecution side in submission of answers.
Nawaz’s lawyer argued that the Supreme Court had not seen additional medical reports of his clients while reviewing his petition for bail. Justice Farooq asked Nawaz’s counsel to give arguments on the point that whether a bail plea on medical grounds could be filed again if a similar petition had been dismissed earlier.
He remarked that usually another petition could not be filed on the same grounds which had been rejected previously. The bench, however, observed that the situation differed in bail petitions filed on medical grounds.
Haris argued that there were precedents in the country regarding filing the petitions under same grounds. A bail petition on medical grounds could be filed again on basis of fresh health condition of any accused, he further contended, adding that this case was also depending on medical grounds.
He said that Nawaz Sharif’s health condition had been deteriorating after March 25, and there was immediate need to initiate his client’s treatment.
Justice Kiyani asked Haris about the treatment the former prime minister received in his six-week bail time. Haris answered that many new diseases had been diagnosed during the same time period, adding that 60 per cent right side blood vessels and 30 per cent of left side had been blocked.
He stated that blood supply to Nawaz Sharif’s brain was also not working properly, claiming that the diseases of his client were not curable in Pakistan as there were no treatment facilities for them.
The division bench, however, adjourned the hearing of the bail plea till Thursday while the hearing of his main appeal against the imprisonment sentence in Al-Azizia case would be heard on June 27.
