LHC orders return of Maryam Nawaz's Rs70 million surety in Chaudhry Sugar Mills Case

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Monday approved an application filed by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz seeking the return of Rs70 million deposited as surety for post-arrest bail in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case.

The case, initiated by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), involved allegations of money laundering and possession of assets beyond known sources of income through allegedly dubious business transactions linked to Chaudhry Sugar Mills, in which Maryam Nawaz was a major shareholder.

During the hearing, a NAB deputy prosecutor submitted an affidavit before an LHC full bench confirming the withdrawal of the bureau’s petition before the Federal Constitutional Court challenging directives for the closure of the investigation against Maryam.

Following the submission, Chief Justice Aalia Neelum, who headed the bench, allowed Maryam’s application and directed the registrar’s office to return the surety amount.

Justice Muhammad Jawad Zafar and Justice Abher Gul Khan were also part of the bench.

Maryam Nawaz, through her counsel Javed Arshad, had moved the application after an accountability court in March accepted NAB’s request to formally close the investigation against her.

The accountability court had ruled that the Punjab chief minister was entitled to withdraw the Rs70 million surety bond submitted at the time of her bail.

The development followed a February 4 order by the Lahore High Court directing NAB to submit a termination report before the accountability court to close the investigation in accordance with legal requirements.

Maryam Nawaz was arrested by a NAB team on August 8, 2019, in connection with the case while visiting her father, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, at Kot Lakhpat jail.

On November 4, 2019, the Lahore High Court granted her bail subject to surrendering her passport and depositing Rs70 million as surety with the court’s judicial registrar.

Later, in October 2022, the LHC ordered the return of Maryam Nawaz’s passport after NAB informed the court that it no longer required the travel document.