No travel abroad for Pakistan ex-PM, court rules

Islamabad: Pakistan’s top court on Friday turned down former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s plea for extension of bail on medical grounds, with judges saying the time granted for treatment was wasted on medical tests only.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa while dismissing the bail plea directed the former PM’s lawyer to ensure his client surrendered before the law after the expiry of six-week bail granted earlier by the court keeping in view his medical report.

On April 30, Sharif had filed an application in the apex court seeking an extension to his six-week bail in the Al Azizia corruption reference.

He sought extension of the bail until the verdict on his review petition relating to a March 26 order.

The Supreme Court however rejected his plea and said the former premier could use the High Court forum to seek bail for that purpose.

In its short order, the apex court of Pakistan remarked that Nawaz Sharif had already been given six weeks for medical treatment, but it seemed he had spent the entire time undergoing tests alone.

Earlier as the hearing began, Sharif’s lawyer Khawaja Haris Ahmad submitted that, according to the written order of the court, his client could not apply for bail before surrendering himself to the authorities.

He pointed out that this aspect of the written order had some contradictions with the verbal orders issued in the case.

At this point, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah told the counsel that anything said by judges before signing their verdict is called an observation and not a ruling.

The lawyer then asked the court to extend his client’s bail for eight more weeks. He argued that the health condition of his client was deteriorating.

Sharif’s medical reports suggested an angiography, he said.

To this, the chief justice responded that an angiography could be over within an hour, whereas the court had granted six weeks.

Haris further argued that the court’s decision had barred Sharif from going abroad for medical check-usp. It had also prevented the High Court from hearing Nawaz’s appeal before six weeks, he said requesting an extension in bail of his client.

The court after hearing arguments, turned down the pleas.

On March 26, the top court had accepted Sharif’s request for bail on medical grounds in the Al Azizia case and allowed his release for six weeks.

On May 7, the six-week time is expiring and in the light of Friday’s order, Nawaz Sharif will be taken into custody if he does not voluntarily surrender.