Pak SC turns down Sharif\'s appeal for early hearing in graft case

Pak SC turns down Sharif's appeal for early hearing in graft case

Press Trust of India  |  Islamabad 

Pakistan's has rejected an appeal filed on behalf of ousted former for an early hearing of his petition seeking bail on medical grounds and to have his sentence suspended in the Al-Azizia corruption case.

The apex court said on Monday that the case against the Islamabad High Court's verdict will be heard when its turn comes.

Sharif, 69, was on December 24 last year sentenced to seven years in prison by an anti-corruption court in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills case for owning a abroad without disclosing its ownership.

On Friday, filed an appeal before the on behalf of the former premier, asking the apex court to grant him bail after suspending the seven-year sentence, newspaper reported.

But the returned the application for early hearing on the grounds that no special treatment could be accorded and the routine procedure would be followed to take up the matter, it said.

Sharif had filed an appeal in the (IHC) to suspend his sentence in the Al-Azizia case until the final verdict on his appeal is announced. However, the court rejected his plea on February 25.

He had requested bail on the grounds that his health was deteriorating in jail.

The IHC in its order had held that none of the medical reports about Sharif's condition suggested that his continued incarceration would in any way be detrimental to his life, adding that he had been hospitalised time and again since January whenever he made complaints about his indisposition.

Sharif has challenged this verdict in the Supreme Court and filed a separate petition for a quick hearing on March 6.

His appeal contends that the IHC order was in violation of his fundamental right to life as guaranteed by the Constitution.

The former is currently incarcerated at the in where he is serving the seven-year sentence.

Sharif resigned as in 2017 after the Supreme Court disqualified him from holding public office and ruled that graft cases be filed against the beleaguered leader and his children over the Panama Papers scandal.

Sharif has denied any wrongdoing and says the charges are political motivated.

His supporters believe the real reason he was convicted was because he had fallen out with the country's powerful army.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Tue, March 05 2019. 16:46 IST