ISLAMABAD – The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Saturday granted former primeminister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif an interim bail till coming Tuesday on humanrights grounds in Al-Azizia Steel Mills reference verdict.The IHC’s division bench comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah andJustice Mohsin Akhter Kiyani granted the interim bail against two suretybonds worth Rs2 millions each on a miscellaneous application filed byPakistan Muslim League Nawaz’s (PMLN) president Shahbaz Sharif for earlyhearing of Nawaz Sharif’s bail plea.The court directed federal and provincial governments and NAB to submitclear answers to the court regarding the bail petition of Nawaz Sharif onmedical grounds.During the course of proceeding, additional attorney general and additionalprosecutor general National Accountability Bureau submitted that thefederation and NAB had no objections over the bail on grounds of humanrights.The chief justice remarked that it was the responsibility of Punjabgovernment to implement the law related to prisoners.He said the Punjab government could itself grant bail against surety bondsto any prisoner whose life was at risk.
The bench observed that the prisoners of death sentence were also entitledto get bails on human rights grounds.Earlier, the bench sought reply from federation, NAB and Punjab governmenton the bail petition of Nawaz Sharif. The court directed the threerespondents to tell the bench whether they oppose the plea or not. If therespondents took responsibility of Sharif’s health and opposed the bailplea then this court would dismissed the petition, the chief justiceremarked.The chief justice said all the responsibility shouldn’t be shifted onshoulders of the court. If the three respondents opposed the petition thenthey had to submit affidavit for taking responsibility of Nawaz Sharif’shealth.Additional Advocate General (AAG) Qasim Chohan submitted that the Punjabgovernment was not able to oppose or support this petition so far.Additional attorney general adopted the stance that the federal governmenthad no role in this matter.Secretary Ministry of Interior said the government couldn’t takeresponsibility regarding the health of Nawaz Sharif. He prayed the court todecide the petition on merit.Justice Kiyani said the state was responsible for protection of lives andproperty of all citizens of the country.The chief justice asked secretary interior that whether he opposed thepetition to which the senior official said this time he couldn’t give anystatement regarding the matter.Justice Minallah said this type of petition should have not come to thiscourt as it was the powers of provincial government to suspend the sentenceof any prisoner on medical grounds.Earlier, the petitioner’s lawyer pleaded before the bench that NawazSharif’s health had been deteriorated further since last day.He said the former prime minister had suffered from minor heart attack,adding his client’s life was at risk.It may be mentioned here that a medical team of Services Hospital Lahorehad informed the court on last hearing that a five-day treatment cycle offormer prime minister would conclude on Monday and after this it would beable to submit a detailed medical report of the prisoner.
