ISLAMABAD – The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday rejected a review petitionfiled by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif seeking an extension in hissix-week bail on medical grounds in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruptionreference.Nawaz Sharif, in his plea filed on April 30, had requested the apex courtto extend his bail, which expires on May 7, until the verdict on hisearlier review petition concerning the March 26 order seeking permission toleave the country.A three-member SC bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) AsifSaeed Khosa and comprising Justice Sajjad Ali Shah and Justice Yahya Afridiheard the case and in its short order also rejected Nawaz’s plea seekingpermission for treatment in the United Kingdom.During the course of proceedings, the chief justice remarked that the courthad given six weeks bail to Nawaz Sharif to get life-saving treatment butthe entire the bail period had instead been spent on conducting tests toascertain the state of the former prime minister’s health.He observed that the court gave Nawaz Sharif six weeks bail as recommendedby five medical boards and 31 doctors for angiography but the time wasspent on conducting evaluations and tests.He remarked that the petitioner’s conduct showed that there was no imminentthreat to his life and his plea was based on mere assumptions.The CJP also observed that the petitioner’s counsel had exceeded the scopeof the initial petition with the latest plea for permission to go abroad.Nawaz’s counsel Khawaja Haris said according to the court’s written order,his client could not apply for bail before surrendering himself to theauthorities. That aspect of the order was in contradiction with the verbalorders issued in the case, he added.Upon this, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah remarked that anything said by thejudges before signing the verdict was called an observation and not aruling.Khawaja Haris pleaded the court to extend his client’s bail for anthereight weeks. He argued that the health condition of his client wasdeteriorating which required an angiography as per his medical reports.Upon this, the chief justice remarked that an angiography needed an hourtime, whereas the court had granted him six weeks.Khawaja Haris said the blockage in Nawaz Sharif’s carotid artery hadincreased by 50 per cent, which was an alarming sign.He said a cardiac MRI was used all over the world as an alternative forangiography but the process was not offered anywhere in the country.The chief justice observed that the doctors’ report quoted in the court hadsaid nothing in that regard that might be considered to be a finalassessment of Nawaz Sharif’s medical condition.The CJP observed that the SC could not review its order on the basis of newmedical reports regarding Nawaz’s health. Anyone, who applied for bail onmedical grounds, claimed that his / her life was in danger, he added.He observed that the review would become an unending process if that routewas taken.Regarding Nawaz’s stress levels, the CJP noted that it was natural forevery prisoner to be under stress while in jail.He also referred to a case wherein the SC had cancelled a convict’s interimbail on the grounds that he had failed to undergo the operation that hepurportedly required.On the medical opinion shared by foreign doctors, the SC bench noted thatthey had just offered their services for treatment through letters, whichwere not sufficient for the court to accept their opinion.Justice Yahya Afridi remarked that matters must be dealt in accordance withthe law and relief could not be given on the opinion of individual doctors.The court could only rely on opinions of the medical boards, he added.Subsequently, the court dismissed the objections and later denied the pleathrough a short order.
Why Supreme Court rejected Nawaz Sharif bail petition?
