The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has extended the protective bail of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif in the Avenfield and Al-Azizia corruption cases until October 26.
This decision comes after the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) stated that it had no objection to Nawaz Sharif’s plea for an extension.
A division bench of the IHC, comprising Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, issued the order in response to Nawaz Sharif’s petitions seeking protective bail and the restoration of his appeals against his conviction.
Nawaz Sharif was convicted in the Avenfield properties corruption reference in July 2018, receiving a ten-year jail term for owning assets beyond his known income, and an additional one-year sentence for non-cooperation with the NAB, to be served concurrently.
In the Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption reference, he was sentenced to seven years in jail on December 24, 2018, and was also fined Rs 1.5 billion and US$25 million.
Last week, the IHC had confirmed the protective bail until October 24, allowing for his homecoming on October 21.
At today’s proceeding, PML-N’s leader legal counsel Azam Nazir Tarar, opened the hearing by highlighting the suspension of Nawaz’s warrants in the Toshakhana case and the approval of his bail against surety bonds in the accountability court.
Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, presiding over the case alongside Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, immediately addressed the complexities of the situation.
Justice Farooq pointed out that two petitions related to the restoration of appeals against Nawaz’s conviction were before the court, emphasizing the necessity of issuing notices on these applications.
Justice Aurangzeb delved deeper, questioning Nawaz’s absence from the court for last couple of years, a critical aspect in the appeal restoration process.
Tarar defended Nawaz’s actions, emphasizing adherence to legal procedures. However, Justice Farooq sternly insisted on an explanation, stressing the need to prove that Nawaz’s absences were not deliberate but grounded in valid reasons.
Tarar cited the Lahore High Court’s permission for Nawaz to leave the country due to medical reasons. Justice Farooq, however, challenged this, questioning the jurisdiction of different high courts in matters of appeal restoration.
Justice Aurangzeb joined the discussion, highlighting the gravity of the situation, describing it as a ‘show cause’ matter and emphasizing the court’s need to be convinced by the reasons presented.
Amidst the debate, Tarar requested an extension of Nawaz’s protective bail, allowing time for further arguments. In response, Justice Farooq turned to the prosecutor general of NAB for input. The NAB official surprised the court by expressing no objections to the petition for appeal restoration and the extension of protective bail.
As the proceedings concluded, Justice Aurangzeb urged the NAB’s prosecutor general to adopt a definitive stance and communicate NAB’s clear position on the matter at the next hearing.
The court subsequently issued notices to the NAB on Nawaz’s pleas for restoration of the appeals against his conviction and bail. It also extended the PML-N supremo’s protective bail till Thursday.
Separately, an Islamabad accountability court confirmed the PML-N supremo’s bail in the Toshakhana case.
The accountability court had suspended the perpetual arrest warrants issued in 2020 for Nawaz in the Toshakhana case on October 19.
