Tolga Akmen—AFP
Former prime minister unlikely to be released unless he is also granted bail in Al-Azizia case
The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday accepted on medical grounds former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s bail application in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case being investigated the National Accountability Bureau.
A two-member bench heard the petition, which had been filed by Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) President Shahbaz Sharif, who is also Nawaz’s brother.
Sharif was admitted to hospital on Monday while in the custody of the National Accountability Bureau. Subsequent medical testing showed that he had a severely low platelet count, which was hampering his body’s ability to clot blood and could be fatal if left untreated.
Several rounds of transfusions, which failed to halt repeated drops in Sharif’s platelet count, resulted in doctors on Thursday diagnosing Sharif as suffering from acute immune thrombocytopenic purpura. The disorder causes the immune system to destroy platelets. PMLN officials have said they hope the diagnosis and targeted treatment will enable Sharif to recover within a few days.
Despite the bail, it is unlikely that Sharif can be released until he is also granted bail in the Al-Azizia case, for which he has been sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment. The Islamabad High Court is hearing that petition and, on Friday, adjourned until Oct. 29 the proceedings with one of the two judges hearing the case saying that while there was no legal basis for bail, if doctors believed Sharif’s life was in danger, it could potentially be granted.