ISLAMABAD (DNA) – The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday dismissed a bail petition filed by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on medical grounds in Al-Azizia reference case.

An IHC bench comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani announced the judgment.

Earlier on February 20, the bench reserved the decision regarding the suspension of seven-year sentence awarded to Sharif.

His defence counsel Khawaja Haris had told the court that the medical boards examining Sharif’s health have recommended his further medical examination after concluding that he has been suffering from various diseases.

Furthermore, he told the court that his health has been deteriorating over time while suffering from kidney, hypertension, diabetes and cardiac issues, and an angiography was required for his treatment.

He pleaded with the court to suspend the sentence of Sharif to enable him to acquire timely treatment from the doctor of his choice. He stressed that it was his fundamental right to get medical treatment from the doctor and the hospital of his choice.

Khawaja Haris also claimed that the provincial government of Punjab had hidden certain facts from the court in the earlier hearing.

Contrarily, the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) prosecutor strongly opposed the arguments put forward by Khawaja Haris and said Sharif’s medical reports did not suggest that his was in danger while being imprisoned.

Meanwhile, Sharif has been awaiting angiography at the Jinnah Hospital in Lahore.