our correspondent
\nISLAMABAD
\nThe Supreme Court on Tuesday accepted a petition filed by former premier Nawaz Sharif \u2013 challenging the Islamabad High Court\u2019s (IHC) decision to not grant him bail in the Al-Azizia reference \u2013 and suspended the ailing PML-N supremo\u2019s prison sentence by six weeks.
\nThe top court had reserved its verdict after hearing a petition filed by the ousted premier.
\nThe three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa asked Nawaz to deposit two surety bonds of Rs5 million, which will be submitted before the additional registrar.
\nDuring the next six weeks, Nawaz will be allowed to get treatment from a doctor of his own choice. After completion the time period, Nawaz will have to surrender himself, the judgement says.
\nNawaz can apply for bail in the high court if need be, the judgement added. The former premier will not be allowed to travel abroad.
\nA three-member bench, headed by the Chief Justice, had asked the defence counsel if he had submitted additional documents in court, to which Khawaja Haris, replied in the affirmative. Haris submitted a letter by Dr Lawrence.
\nNawaz\u2019s counsel Khawaja Haris had requested the court for a suspension of eight weeks in the former premier\u2019s prison sentence. \u201cNawaz should be given an opportunity to consult his doctors.\u201d
\nOn the completion of his medical treatment the former premier would surrender himself to the court, said Nawaz\u2019s counsel, adding that, \u201cwithout the doctor\u2019s instructions, Nawaz would not leave the country\u201d.
\nReferring to the letter submitted by Haris in court, the chief justice stated that this letter is addressed to Dr Adnan,\u201d on which he was told that Adnan is Nawaz\u2019s personal physician.
\nJustice Khosa also raised questions on Dr Lawrence\u2019s letter and asked what is the legal basis of the letter. Dr Lawrence\u2019s letter is not addressed to the court, the CJP said.
\nNawaz\u2019s health deteriorated in prison, Haris stated, to which the CJP responded that, \u201cwe have assessed Nawaz\u2019s health\u201d.
\n\u201cFive medical boards assessed his condition, and every board recommended that he be transferred to a hospital, he needs an angiography,\u201d said the court during the hearing.
\nDeterioration of health and illness are the only grounds for suspension of sentence, added the CJP. Referring to the letter, the three-member bench said that defence\u2019s entire argument rests on Dr Lawrence\u2019s letter, and the recommendations of the medical board outweigh the importance of the letter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
our correspondent ISLAMABAD The Supreme Court on Tuesday accepted a petition filed by former premier Nawaz Sharif \u2013 challenging the Islamabad High Court\u2019s (IHC) decision to not grant him bail in the Al-Azizia reference \u2013 and suspended the ailing PML-N supremo\u2019s prison sentence by six weeks. The top court had reserved its verdict after hearing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":56114,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-56095","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-top-news"],"yoast_head":"\n