Pakistan’s former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was released from jail on Wednesday, a day after the Supreme Court granted him six weeks’ bail to obtain medical treatment of his choice within the country.
Sharif, 69, was lodged in Lahore’s jail since December 2018, serving seven-year imprisonment in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills graft case.
Sharif who denies any wrongdoing has suffered four angina attacks in recent weeks, according to his daughter Maryam Nawaz.
Hours before Nawaz’s release, the former prime minister’s daughter Maryam Nawaz took to Twitter to thank their fans for their support.
Maryam Nawaz Sharif tweeted, “Insha’Allah, MNS will be home soon. Want to take this opportunity to thank Allah & then every PMLN supporter. You guys were instrumental in keeping my spirits & hopes high. I have no words to express my gratitude. May Allah bless you all profusely. Ameen.”
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court granted former premier Nawaz Sharif bail for six weeks, suspending his sentence and giving him the freedom to obtain medical treatment of his choice within the country.
A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Asif Saeed Khosa accepted Sharif’s appeal on medical grounds.
The top court noted that several senior doctors had suggested that Sharif’s history of hypertension, cardiac and renal ailments may present a “mild-moderate risk” if he is to undergo angiography, and therefore granting him relief for a limited period was a “reasonable” request.
It subsequently directed Sharif to deposit two bail bonds worth Rs 5 million each, receive medical treatment, and surrender his custody after six weeks.
