Islamabad (Web Desk): The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday granted protective bail to former premier and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif in the Avenfield and Al-Azizia cases till October 24.
IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb took up the pleas filed by former prime minister seeking protective bail in the Avenfield and Al-Azizia cases.
Nawaz’s counsels, including former law minister Azam Nazir Tarar and Amjad Pervaiz, appeared before the court while NAB prosecutors Rana Maqsood, Qureshi and Naeem Sanghera were also present.
NAB Special Prosecutor Afzal Quershi did not object to the bail application when the bench asked him about NAB’s stance on these petitions, the prosecutor replied that the NAB had “no objections” if Mr Sharif intended to pursue the cases. Justice Aurangzeb took a swipe at the watchdog, saying the court could also set aside the conviction of Mr Sharif as well if the NAB wants.
Justice Farooq then directed him to submit a statement in written form to the court that the NAB had no objection to Nawaz’s return.
Subsequently, the IHC accepted the former prime minister’s plea, granting him a protective bail till October 24 restraining the police from arresting Nawaz upon his arrival at the airport on October 21 (Saturday).
Earlier today, an accountability court in Islamabad announced its reserved verdict and approved Nawaz Sharif’s appeal suspending his permanent arrest warrants until October 24 in Tosha Khana NAB reference case.
Judge Muhammad Bashir of Accountability court conducted the hearing of the appeal filed by Pakistan PML-N's supremo, while Nawaz Sharif's lawyer Qazi Misbah and NAB prosecutor appeared before the court.
“Nawaz Sharif wants to face cases in court. He will arrive in Pakistan on October 21. The court is requested to suspend his arrest warrants till October 24,” Lawyer Qazi Misbah, the lawyer for Nawaz Sharif, pleaded with the court.
The court had summoned the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials today on Nawaz Sharif's bail plea in the Tosha Khana reference.
Nawaz Sharif's lawyer Qazi Misbah requested the court that the permanent warrant of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif be suspended till October 24 so that there is a way to come to the court.
The NAB prosecutor said that the purpose of the warrant is to face the law. The PML-N leader has asked for two reliefs. He is saying that he wants to surrender before the court. If Nawaz Sharif wants to appear, then suspend the warrant till October 24.
It should be noted that a day earlier, the former PM moved the IHC for protective bail and approached an accountability court in Islamabad, seeking suspension of his perpetual arrest warrants from the accountability court issued against him for being a proclaimed offender in the Toshakhana vehicle case.
Nawaz Sharif was convicted in the Al-Azizia Mills and Avenfield corruption cases in 2018. He served a seven-year imprisonment at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail in the Al-Azizia Mills case before he was allowed to go to London in November 2019 on “medical grounds.”
In February 2020, the then PTI-led government had declared Nawaz Sharif an absconder, and later in the same year, an accountability court had declared him a proclaimed offender in the Toshakhana vehicles reference.
