LHC seeks Maryam's reply in her bail cancellation plea

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has sought a reply from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam Nawaz on a National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) plea challenging her bail in Chaudhry Sugar Mills case.

A two-member bench of the LHC comprising Justice Sarfaraz Dogar and Justice Asjad Giral took up plea, during which, Faisal Bukhari appeared before the court from the NAB side while Maryam Nawaz didn’t attend the proceedings.

NAB lawyer told the LHC judges that PML-N leader is misusing her bail and not appearing before the anti-graft watchdog. Maryam Nawaz appeared before the NAB office along with huge number of party activists, who had pelted stones, he alleged.

To, this the court said, Maryam didn’t appear before the NAB in 2020 August and how come the bureau thought now to challenge her bail?

We waited due to the opposition’s protest said Senate elections, else the allegation would have been raised that we are taking action against their protest, the NAB lawyer replied.

The LHC while summoning reply from Maryam Nawaz until April 7, adjourned the hearing.

Chaudhry Sugar Mills case

The Sharif family has been accused of using Chaudhry Sugar Mills for money-laundering and illegal transfer of its shares.

According to NAB, the family took a $15 million loan on the pretext to set up the mill despite the fact that it had already been established before the loan was acquired.

The NAB maintains that more than Rs7 million worth of shares were transferred to PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz in 2008 through mill’s shares, which were later transferred to her cousin Yousaf Abbas Sharif in 2010.