On Thursday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) granted protective bail to Nawaz Sharif, the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), in the Avenfield and Al-Aziza cases, extending the bail until October 24. This decision followed an accountability court’s suspension of the perpetual non-bailable arrest warrants issued for Nawaz in the Toshakhana gifts case in anticipation of his return to Pakistan on October 21.
The trial court temporarily suspended the arrest warrant until October 24 and prohibited authorities from detaining Nawaz at the airport. His return would mark the end of his nearly four-year self-imposed exile.
Nawaz Sharif had been convicted in the Al-Azizia and Avenfield corruption cases by an accountability court on July 6, 2018, receiving a 10-year prison sentence. In October 2019, the IHC granted him bail on humanitarian grounds, allowing him to travel to London for medical treatment.
However, as his bail expired and he failed to return to Pakistan, the IHC declared him a proclaimed offender and absconder. Prior to the recent decisions, he faced non-bailable arrest warrants in the Al-Azizia and Avenfield corruption cases, as well as the Toshakhana gifts case.
During a hearing on Thursday, an IHC divisional bench, led by Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb, considered Nawaz’s request for protective bail in the Avenfield and Al-Aziza graft cases. Nawaz’s lawyer, Azam Nazir Tarar, informed the bench that the accountability court had suspended the perpetual arrest warrants.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) stated that they had no objections to granting protective bail, emphasizing that Nawaz could appear before the court if he wished to do so.
The court inquired about the source of this stance, and the NAB lawyer mentioned that he was acting under the directives of the anti-graft watchdog’s prosecutor-general, which the court requested to be submitted in writing.
The NAB prosecutor explained that the court’s written order had stated that the appellant could revive his appeal once he returned to the country. The court accepted Nawaz’s plea for protective bail until October 24 and directed NAB to provide a written response regarding their stance.
Meanwhile, accountability court Judge Muhammad Basheer announced the reserved verdict on Nawaz’s plea to suspend his perpetual arrest warrants, granting relief to the former prime minister until October 24. The court accepted Nawaz’s request and instructed him to appear before the court on October 24.
Nawaz’s counsel, Qazi Misbah, informed the court that Nawaz intended to return to Pakistan on October 21 and wished to appear before the court. Therefore, he requested the cancellation of the perpetual arrest warrants.
Advocate Misbah also mentioned that the high court had not been approached for protective bail in this case, citing a similar precedent for former finance minister Ishaq Dar.
Nawaz had been declared a proclaimed offender in September 2020. When questioned about his absence, the defense cited the Lahore High Court’s permission for his medical treatment abroad.
NAB prosecutor Sohail Arif mentioned that interim relief had been sought in this application, and advocate Misbah reaffirmed Nawaz’s intention to appear before the court on October 24.
The judge noted that Nawaz had left the country with the court’s permission four months before this reference was filed. When asked if any other accused had been arrested in this case, the response was negative.
The court ultimately granted Nawaz’s plea and suspended the perpetual arrest warrants.
Leave a Comment