Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif gets bail in corruption cases

The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday gave Sharif bail until Thursday and prosecutors did not object, trusting he would turn up for the trial, Sharifs lawyer Azam Nazeer Tarar said.

Sharifreturned to Pakistan last week after four years of self-imposed exile in London in a bid to stand in next years elections against his biggest rival, former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Sharif had not set foot in Pakistan since 2019 when he travelled to the United Kingdoms capital for medical treatment while serving a 14-year prison sentence for corruption.

A date will be fixed by the court for when proceedings should start, Naseer Ahmed Bhutta, another of Sharifs lawyers, told the Agence France-Presse news agency outside the court.

Currently, Khan, Sharifs successor, is imprisoned on corruption charges and serving a three-year sentence. Khan was removed from office in a no-confidence vote in April 2022, but he is still Pakistans leading opposition figure and enjoys a large following along with his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party.

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