LHC seeks NAB clarification on FCC plea in Chaudhry Sugar Mills case

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday asked the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to clearly state the status of its petition before the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) in a matter linked to the Chaudhry Sugar Mills investigation against Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.

A full bench headed by Chief Justice Aalia Neelum was hearing a civil miscellaneous application filed by the chief minister for the return of Rs70 million she had deposited as a bail surety in the case. Justice Muhammad Jawad Zafar and Justice Abher Gul Khan were also part of the bench.

During the proceedings, the chief justice observed that NAB had challenged the LHC’s Feb 4 order before the FCC. In response, a NAB prosecutor told the court that the application may have been withdrawn from the FCC. The chief justice, however, directed the prosecutor to provide a definite answer on the current position of the bureau’s plea before the constitutional court.

After seeking that clarification, the bench put off further hearing until April 23.

Application for refund of surety amount

Maryam Nawaz, through her counsel Advocate Javed Arshad, moved the application afresh after an accountability court on March 16 accepted a NAB request to close the Chaudhry Sugar Mills investigation against her.

The accountability court had ruled that Ms Nawaz could withdraw the Rs70m surety bond she had furnished when she was granted post-arrest bail in the case.

NAB had submitted that application after the LHC full bench, in its Feb 4 order, directed the bureau to place a termination report before the accountability court so that the investigation could be closed in accordance with the law. That order had been issued on an earlier application filed by Ms Nawaz seeking the release of the surety amount.

Earlier court orders and arrest

The LHC had granted bail to Maryam Nawaz in the sugar mills case on Nov 4, 2019, subject to the surrender of her passport before the court. She had also been directed to deposit Rs70 million with the registrar judicial.

Later, on Oct 3, 2022, another full bench of the LHC ordered the return of her passport after NAB informed the court that it no longer required the travel document.

According to the case history placed before the court, a NAB team arrested Ms Nawaz on Aug 8, 2019. She was taken into custody while at Kot Lakhpat jail during her weekly visit to her father, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who was imprisoned at the time. She was accompanied by her daughter and cousin Yousaf Abbas, the son of late Abbas Sharif.

The latest hearing remained focused on whether NAB’s challenge to the Feb 4 LHC order is still pending before the FCC, a point on which the high court has now sought an unambiguous response.