A two-member bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday questioned if the appeal of a person, who has been declared an absconder in a separate case, could be heard by the court.

The two-member bench, comprising Justice Aamir Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani, raised the question while hearing a fresh plea filed by Nawaz's counsel yesterday, requesting the court to "forgo" the requirement of his surrender in the Al Azizia case. The court had asked the former premier to surrender before Sept 10 or face legal proceedings, during the last hearing.

This fresh appeal was filled by the former prime minister's lawyer Khawaja Haris, asking the court to review it's decision. He also submitted Nawaz's latest medical reports signed by a London-based consultant cardio-thoracic, Dr David Lawrence.

As today's hearing begun, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor told the court that Nawaz has been declared a proclaimed offender in the Toshakhana case and added that there is a precedence set by prior judgments that appeals by proclaimed offenders cannot be heard.

Based on these arguments, the court noted that it first needs legal clarity about if appeals by a person who has been declared as a proclaimed offender in a case can be heard.

The hearing has been adjourned till September 15.