IHC extends protective bail of Nawaz Sharif till Oct 26

Islamabad: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday extended the protective bail of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Quaid Nawaz Sharif till October 26 the in Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Avenfield property references.

The court also sought comments from the National Accountability Court (NAB) about the petitions seeking revival of Nawaz Sharif’s appeals against his conviction in the two references.

The two-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb heard the case wherein the former prime minister appeared along with his legal team.

At the outset of hearing, Nawaz Sharif’s counsel Azam Nazir Tarar said that the petitioner had not skipped his appearances deliberately. He had travelled abroad for medical treatment with the consent of the court and his medical reports had been submitted regularly.

Addressing the lawyer, the chief justice observed that they would have to issue a notice to NAB to hear its point opf view. The revival of appeals was not a routine matter and he had to satisfy the court as why the petitioner did not appear before the court, he added.

Azam Nazir Tarar requested for extension of protective bail for few days, saying it was a case of first impression. The accountability court had changed the petitioner’s status of absconder. Nawaz Sharif had faced a lot of hardships during the time as his wife and mother also died, he added.

The chief justice questioned whether the Bureau wanted to arrest Nawaz Sharif and whether it had any objection on the extension of his protective bail. The NAB prosecutor replied that his department had no objection in that regard.

The chief justice said that NAB could withdraw its references against the petitioner if it considered the same were filed wrongly. Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb asked the NAB Prosecutor General to inform the court after taking instructions from the NAB Chairman.
The bench served notices to NAB and adjourned further hearing of the case.