<\/p>\n
Two petitions were filed in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday seeking protective bail for PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif in the Avenfield and Al-Azizia cases. Nawaz is expected to return to Pakistan on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Nawaz was convicted in the Avenfield and Al-Azizia references and was declared a proclaimed offender in the Toshakhana vehicle case, pending before an accountability court in Islamabad. He was on bail in these cases when he proceeded to the UK in 2019<\/a> for medical treatment.<\/p>\n The petitions, copies of which are available with Dawn.com<\/em>, were filed by PML-N\u2019s Ataullah Tarar on Nawaz\u2019s behalf.<\/p>\n The pleas said that Nawaz was seeking protective bail in order to surrender before the court and \u201csubmit to due process of justice and avail remedies permissible under the law\u201d.<\/p>\n They stated that Nawaz\u2019s absence before the IHC was neither \u201cintentional nor deliberate nor mala fide\u201d, rather he was unable to do so due to \u201cmedical advice\u201d and circumstances beyond his control\u201c. It said that Nawaz\u2019 health could not improve and medical procedures were delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic<\/a>.<\/p>\n They further said that the relevant health reports were submitted to the Lahore High Court (LHC), in accordance with its directives. It also noted that the previous federal and provincial government, \u201cdespite being headed by an arch-rival political party\u201d, never approached the LHC to challenge the veracity of the reports.<\/p>\n