By Our Web Desk
LAHORE– The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has approached the Lahore High Court (LHC) for the cancellation of bail granted to vice president of PML-N Maryam Nawaz in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case. The petition has been fixed for hearing on March 15 and will be heard by a two-member bench presided over by Justice Sarfaraz Dogar.
NAB has argued that Maryam has taken “undue benefit” of her bail and is not cooperating with its investigations despite being offered a reprieve. “Despite being released on bail, Maryam Nawaz is not cooperating with NAB in the investigations,” read the petition filed by NAB.
NAB told the court that Maryam was summoned to submit documents in relation to the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case on 10 January of last year. It said the PML-N leader did not give any response to the notice and neither did she submit the requested documents.
NAB then said that, after her failure to submit the documents, it had summoned Maryam to appear in person on August 11 of last year. It alleged that, on that day, the PML-N leader used her political power and attacked the NAB offices. The bureau added that a separate case had been registered against the PML-N leader over the incident. It added that Maryam, by not appearing for examination, was obstructing the investigation.
The petition went on to say that ever since bail was granted, Maryam has been attacking state institutions. It added that the PML-N leader was issuing statements against state institutions on electronic and social media.
“Maryam Nawaz is doing propaganda against state institutions,” said NAB, arguing that “through her tactics” she is giving the public an impression that state institutions have failed. “Maryam Nawaz is making deliberate statements to tarnish the image of state institutions,” it added. NAB has named Maryam Nawaz and the interior ministry as respondents in the case and urged the court to cancel bail.
In November 2019, the LHC had granted bail to Maryam in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case. At the time, the NAB prosecutor had opposed the PML-N leader’s plea, which Maryam had filed after her father Nawaz Sharif was hospitalised in critical condition.
