LAHORE - A division bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) Wednesday adjourned until October 30 hearing of a post-arrest bail petition filed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice-President Maryam Nawaz in Chaudhry Sugar Mills (CSM) and money laundering cases.

The bench hearing the petition consisted of Justice Ali Baqar Najafi and Justice Sardar Ahmad Naeem who heard the post-arrest petition.

A prosecutor representing the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) appeared before the division bench and sought time for filing the parawise reply to the petition. On NAB’s request seeking more time, the petitioner’s counsel complained that accountability court was using delaying tactics aimed at prolonging the proceedings. Afterwards, the bench adjourned the hearing until Oct 30 and directed the bureau to file parawise comments by the next date of hearing in post-arrest petition.  In her petition, the PML-N leader submitted that she was arrested in connection with Chaudhry Sugar Mills/money laundering case, though already her family assets, including CSM had been investigated by a joint investigation team in Panama leaks case, and the Supreme Court had not advised the bureau to file a reference regarding the CSM or assets owned by her.

The PML-N’s incarcerated leader argued in the petition that the NAB could not probe the issue until the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan asks it to do so. She submitted that the bureau misused the National Accountability Ordinance to arrest her. She also denied all allegations leveled by the NAB as baseless.

In the petition, Maryam took the plea that she was being subjected to political victimisation and claimed that the bureau had not found even single evidence against her. She was detained by a NAB team when she went to Kot Lakhpat Jail in the provincial capital to meet her father Nawaz Sharif, the three-time prime minister of Pakistan.

She submitted that her post-arrest bail petition may kindly be accepted.  An accountability court sent Maryam and her cousin Yousaf Abbas to jail on judicial remand on September 25. They remained on physical remand in the NAB’s custody for 48 days their arrest on August 8.

During the sugar mills case hearing, the accountability court had rejected the NAB’s request to extend Maryam’s physical remand and sent her to jail on judicial remand till October 9.

The NAB accused her of being main shareholder of the sugar mills and committing money laundering through investments of heavy amounts. As per the bureau, three foreigners had transferred 11,000 shares worth millions of rupees in the name of Maryam Nawaz and the same shares were subsequently transferred to Nawaz Sharif.

AC EXTENDS PML-N

VICE-PRESIDENT’S JUDICIAL

REMAND UNTIL 25TH

Meanwhile, an accountability court on Wednesday turned down the request made by PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz to inquire after the health of her father Nawaz Sharif in Services Hospital, and extended her judicial remand in Chaudhry Sugar Mills (CSM) case until Oct 25.

During proceedings, Maryam requested the court for releasing her on parole for one hour to meet her father, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. However, the court turned down the plea and extended her judicial remand.

The court conducted the case proceedings wherein Maryam Nawaz and Yousaf Abbas were produced on expiry of their judicial remand.

National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) prosecutor stated that reference was in final stages of preparation and it would be filed after approval of the NAB chairman, in response to a court query during a short hearing of the case.

In the same case, the court had remanded Nawaz Sharif in NAB custody till Oct 25 and he would also be produced on the next date of hearing.

Strict security arrangements were made on the occasion. A large contingent of police was positioned inside and outside the court.

Last Monday, the former prime minister was shifted to Services Hospital after his condition deteriorated in the custody of Lahore NAB, which then decided to shift him to hospital for a medical check-up following fresh reports.

Dr Adnan Khan, the former PM’s personal physician, had earlier raised an alarm about his deteriorating health, and urged the government to immediately shift him to a hospital for treatment.

After seeing the PML-N leader at the bureau’s Thokar Niaz Baig office, Dr Adnan said in a tweet, “Former PM #NawazSharif is detected to have critically low Platelet Count (16*10^9/L) that could be due to multiple pathologies & requires immediate in-hospital care. I have requested the authorities concerned to act in urgency.”