NAB court hears Chaudhry Sugar Mills reference

LAHORE (Dunya News) – Accountability court on Friday has conducted hearing on Chaudhry Sugar Mills reference and approved exemption plea of former Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif as he is in London on bail for medical treatment.

During the hearing, Nawaz Sharif’s fresh medical reports were also presented.  

On Oct. 29, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had suspended the sentence of former premier Nawaz Sharif on medical grounds for eight weeks in the Al-Azizia reference case. The court had ordered him to submit two surety bonds of Rs2 million each to the court for securing his release.

A plea for bail had been filed by PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif for his brother Nawaz, who was under treatment at Lahore’s Services Hospital. The court further announced that for an extension in bail, the Punjab government should be approached.

On Oct. 25, Nawaz procured bail on medical grounds in the ongoing Chaudhry Sugar Mills case from the Lahore High Court. The former premier submitted two surety bonds worth Rs10 million each for his release in the case.

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif had filed the bail application for the release of his brother from the custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

“We applied for bail on the grounds that his health conditions were deteriorating and that he needs better treatment,” his lawyer, Azam Nazir Tarar, told Reuters after the ruling.

On Nov 19, Sharif arrived in London, three weeks after he was granted bail by the Islamabad High Court in the Al-Azizia case on medical grounds, along with his brother Shahbaz Sharif after the government and courts granted him permission to travel abroad. Sharif and members of his family had also consulted with several doctors, including those who specialise in cardiac issues and immune disorders.

Accountability judge Mohammad Arshad Malik had last year on Dec 24 convicted Sharif in the Al-Azizia reference but acquitted him in the Flagship Investment case. Sharif was handed seven years in jail in the Al-Azizia reference with two fines – Rs1.5 billion and $25 million. A disqualification of 10 years from holding any public office was also part of the sentence.