Pakistan court sets deadline for ex-PM Sharif's return

Islamabad High Court has said Nawaz Sharif should appear in court in Pakistan before September 10. The former premier is in London since November last year after the Lahore High Court granted him permission to go abroad for four weeks for medical treatment.

Islamabad: A Pakistani court on Tuesday gave a 'last chance' to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to surrender and appear before it on September 10 for hearing in a corruption case against him, according to media reports.

Sharif, 70, has been in London since November last year after the Lahore High Court granted him permission to go abroad for four weeks for treating heart disease and an immune system disorder. The three-time premier was sentenced to seven years in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills case.

A two-member special bench of the Islamabad High Court comprising Justice Amir Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani on Tuesday heard the petitions against the sentences of Sharif, daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain (retd) Safdar in the Avenfield and Al-Azizia Steel Mills cases.

"We are not passing the final verdict as of yet. We are giving you [Nawaz] last chance to surrender before the next hearing. Nawaz Sharif should appear before the court in any case," the bench said.

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has assured the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that he would return to the country as soon as he recuperates and maintained that due to the Covid-19 pandemic, his treatment in London had been subjected to delay.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo on Monday filed an application in the IHC seeking exemption from appearance in the hearing of his appeal against his conviction in the Avenfield corruption reference.

In the Al-Azizia reference, Sharif requested the court to adjourn the hearing of the case or carry out the proceedings in the presence of his representative.

The appeals will be heard by the IHC on Tuesday.

In his two separate applications, Sharif responded to the questions regarding his recuperation and return to the country.

The former premier, seeking exemption from appearance in the hearing, adopted the stance that the matter regarding his departure for treatment abroad was already pending before the Lahore High Court.

He said the Punjab government despite being aware of this fact had neglected his medical reports and rejected his application for an extension in bail.

Assuring the IHC of his return to Pakistan after recuperation, Sharif noted that his treatment in London was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

He stated that the physicians had advised him to stay at home due to the lockdown, The Express Tribune reported.

Sharif's medical report dated June 26 had also been submitted in the court along with his plea for exemption from appearance.

Sharif was released from Adiala jail on September 19, 2018, after the IHC suspended his sentence in the Avenfield corruption reference.