Nawaz Sharif reaches Jati Umra after being released from Kot Lakhpat Jail

LAHORE: Former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif reached his home in Jati Umra Tuesday night to a warm welcome by his family members, including his mother, daughter Maryam, and brother Shehbaz Sharif.

Sharif was released late night from the Kot Lakhpat Jail following the Supreme Court's decision to grant him bail earlier in the day on medical grounds, halting his jail sentence pertaining to the Al-Azizia reference case.

Party workers, who had already congregated outside to welcome their leader, showered the PML-N supremo with flower petals when he stepped out of the jail.

He then travelled the 30-minute distance to his Jati Umra home as part of a caravan in which he was spotted waving to supporters, workers, and fellow leaders, all of whom chanted in his favour.

As he reached home, Maryam Nawaz Sharif welcomed him while his mother said prayers on his arrival.

Earlier in the day, a three-judge bench headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, the chief justice of Pakistan, had heard the former premier's petition against a verdict by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to not grant him bail on medical grounds in the Al-Azizia corruption reference. 

Announcing a short verdict, Justice Khosa had directed the former PM be granted bail for six weeks to get medical treatment within Pakistan. Sharif, however, would not be allowed to leave the country, the CJP said.

The former premier was directed to submit two bail bonds amounting to Rs10 million.

During the hearing, Sharif's counsel, Khawaja Haris, had asked the court to grant the ex-premier an eight-week bail. He said: "There will be no loss if Nawaz is granted bail for eight weeks.

"Even when Kulsoom Nawaz was sick people kept saying otherwise and, when she passed away, people said she had died earlier," Haris had said.

Justice Khosa, however, inquired as to what will happen if the IHC verdict on the appeal was announced during this time as the hearing was fixed for April 9.

To this, Haris said: "Only notices have been issued so far, which I have not even received. If the appeal if even fixed for hearing on April 9, it will take time as the record is based on more than 4,000 pages."

"As far as the treatment is concerned, my client's life is at risk. He will surrender himself to the court after the treatment is complete," he added.

Sharif's counsel further said his client was not leaving the country and his passport was with the court already.