Pakistan’s top court rejects bail extension for ex-PM Sharif

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s top court has rejected a plea from former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for an extension of his bail so that he could travel abroad for medical treatment.

Friday’s decision by the Supreme Court comes days before Sharif’s six-week bail was to expire. It was granted in March for medical reasons. However, the three-time prime minister has spent most of the past weeks at home at his residence in the city of Lahore.

Sharif, who has a history of heart disease, is to return to prison next Tuesday.

The Supreme Court ousted Sharif from office in the summer of 2017 over corruption charges. He, along with other family members, faces several trials. In one case, he was sentenced to seven years for concealing assets abroad.