Nawaz’s bail plea accepted for hearing

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court yesterday accepted the bail petition of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif for hearing and sought reply from National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

A divisional bench comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani heard the petition of Nawaz Sharif seeking his bail in Al-Azizia Steel Mills verdict on medical grounds.

The petition had stated that Nawaz Sharif had been suffering from several diseases. The medical expert had stated that Nawaz’s condition was critical and his treatment was not possible in jail.

It stated that former prime minister’s political rivals had been spreading rumours against him and terming his bail plea as an attempt to avail benefits of National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), which the petition said was a contempt of court. NRO granted amnesty to politicians, political workers and bureaucrats who were accused of corruption, embezzlement, money laundering or murder.

Nawaz stated that it wouldn’t affect the prosecution case if his sentence was suspended till final judgement on his appeal against trial court’s verdict in the case. He appealed to the court to grant him bail under medical grounds.

Meanwhile, an Accountability Court yesterday permitted NAB to meet Sharif in jail for investigation related to personal use of bullet proof vehicles imported for South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) conference 2016.

AC-II Judge Arshad Malik heard the case. NAB pleaded that 34 bullet proof vehicles were purchased from Germany and imported without paying duty for the guests of Saarc conference. However, 20 vehicles were used in the motorcade which had been kept in his and his daughter Maryam Nawaz’s personal use.