*ISLAMABAD: **Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif gets a strong blow fromthe Punjab government.*
Punjab government has rejected former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s requestfor continued suspension of his sentence and asked the PML-N supreme leaderto surrender to authorities.
Nawaz, who was sentenced to seven-year jail term in Al-Azizia graft case inDecember 2018, was released on bail on Oct 29, 2019 on medical grounds inview of an alarming fall in his blood platelet count. The government laterin November also allowed him to fly to London for medical treatment.
The Punjab government said the provincial cabinet after thoroughlydiscussing the issue has decided to turn down Nawaz’s December 23, 2019request for continued suspension of his sentence.
On December 23, Nawaz – through his counsel Khawaja Haris – had sent arequest to suspend his sentence along with a Dr David Lawrence’s letter andan echocardiography report.
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The government had, however, found the reports inadequate and directedNawaz to submit a medical report again.
In response to the letter from the Punjab government, PML-N leaderAttaullah Tarar on January 17 submitted a medical report, but a specialmedical board formed by the Punjab government had expressed dissatisfactionover the report and asked for more reports.
The required reports included reports of the hematologists of Guys and StThomas Hospital and London Bridge Hospital; reports of the cardiologist ofRoyal Brompton and Herefield Hospital; platelet count and bio-chemicalreports and report of whole body PET scan – all on the hospitals officialletterheads.
