ISLAMABAD, Oct. 19 (NNI): A two-judge IHC bench on Thursday granted a protective bail to Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif, ahead of his return to the country after nearly four years.
The bail was granted in two corruption cases.
Sharif’s counsel Tarar said the PML-N leader was declared proclaimed offender by a trial court, but now his warrants had been suspended by the court.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) lawyer did not oppose the bail.
Nawaz Sharif’s lawyers Amjad Pervez and Azam Nazeer Tarar appeared before court whereas NAB prosecutors Rafey Maqsood and Afzal Qureshi advanced arguments in the case.
The IHC chief justice asked, “Are you in possession of the said order?” Tarar said the order had been issued and his colleagues were on way to court to submit it.
Later, the court granted the former prime minister protective bail and barred the authorities from arresting him in any of the two cases until Oct 24.
On Wednesday, the IHC bench had issued notices to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on two petitions filed by PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif, seeking protective bail in the Avenfield and Al-Azizia cases.
Nawaz will return to Pakistan on Saturday. He was convicted in the Avenfield and Al-Azizia references and declared a proclaimed offender in the Toshakhana vehicles case pending with an accountability court in Islamabad. The court adjourned the case till Thursday.
The bench comprising Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb took up Nawaz’s pleas which were filed earlier on Wednesday.
The PML-N leader’s lawyer, Amjad Pervez, told the court that his client was seeking protective bail.
Referring to previous judgements, he said that in the past, absconders were granted protective bail in order to surrender before the court. “The court provides an opportunity whenever someone wants to surrender before it,” he said. He said his client had not taken undue advantage of his bail. NNI
