IHC accepts Nawaz Sharif’s plea for exemption from today’s appearance

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday accepted former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s plea seeking exemption from today’s appearance. A two-member bench comprising of Justice Amir Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani heard the appeals of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and former premier Nawaz Sharif in the Al-Azizia reference. The court directed to present the complete record after re-arranging the paper box. Khawaja Haris, counsel for Nawaz Sharif, had stated that the record in the paper box is incomplete. He said that there was need to rearrange the record. Later, the court adjourned the case till May 2. The petition filed through his counsel stated that Nawaz Sharif was ill and could not appear in court. It requested the court to accept the plea for exemption from hearing. The NAB has been made a party in the plea. Accountability judge Mohammad Arshad Malik on Dec 24 last year had convicted the former premier in the Al-Azizia reference and sentenced him to seven-year imprisonment. Sharif was released from Kot Lakhpat Jail last month after the Supreme Court granted him bail for six weeks to obtain medical treatment. A three-judge bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa granted the former premier bail for six weeks on medical grounds. The court ruled that Nawaz will not be allowed to leave the country for treatment and directed him to submit two bail bonds amounting to Rs10 million.