Nawaz Sharif walks out of prison after 3 months on medical grounds

Pakistan’s former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was released from jail on Wednesday, a day after the Supreme Court granted him six weeks’ bail to receive medical treatment within the country.

Sharif, 69, was lodged in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail sinceDecember last year, serving a seven-year imprisonment in the Al-Azizia SteelMills graft case.

   

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo, who denieswrongdoing, has suffered four angina attacks in recent weeks, according to hisdaughter Maryam Nawaz.

On Tuesday, a three-member bench of the Supreme Court headedby Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa accepted Sharif’s appeal and allowed him toget medical treatment from any health facility of his choice within thecountry.

Sharif is barred from leaving Pakistan.

The deposed prime minister’s supporters and party workersgathered in large numbers outside the jail and showered his car with flowers ashe left the area.

Some PML-N party workers moved along with Sharif’s car tillhis residence.

The three-time prime minister was received by PML-N leadersand his family at his house in the Jati Umra Raiwind area here.

Sharif’s release got delayed as the court order and otherrequired documents could not reach the jail for more than 10 hours after thebench’s direction.

The Supreme Court observed in its order that several seniordoctors had suggested that Sharif’s history of hypertension, cardiac and renalailments may present a “mild-moderate risk” if he is to undergoangiography.

Therefore, granting him relief for a limited period is a”reasonable” request, the top court said.

It directed Sharif to deposit two bail bonds worth Rs 5million Pakistani rupees (USD 35,423) each, receive medical treatment andsurrender after six weeks.

PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif thanked the court for”meeting the merits of justice”.

“We thank the SC for considering gravity of thesituation in the light of the medical reports of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif. Wealso thank the nation and workers of the PMLN whose prayers had made this daypossible,” he said.

He said that Sharif’s health and well-being is the utmostpriority of the party and that would be their primal focus.

The Sharif family has been complaining that the governmentof Prime Minister Imran Khan was not providing adequate treatment to thethree-time former premier who has serious health complications.

Three corruption cases – Avenfield properties, Flagshipinvestment and Al-Azizia steel mills – were registered against the Shariffamily by the anti-graft body in 2017 following a judgment by the Supreme Courtthat disqualified Sharif in the Panama Papers case in 2017.

He was sentenced to 10 years in prison in the Avenfieldcorruption case in July 2018 which was related to his properties in London.Later he was given bail in September.

In December, the accountability court convicted him in theAl-Azizia graft case but acquitted him in the Flagship corruption case.

The Al-Azizia Steel Mill case is related to setting up steelmills in Saudi Arabia allegedly with corruption money.

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