Lahore: The Lahore High Court (LHC), on Monday, directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to return Maryam Nawaz’s passport.
Maryam Nawaz had approached the LHC seeking the return of her passport, which she had surrendered to the court in 2019 in the Chaudhry Sugar Mill case.
Headed by Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti and comprising Justice Ali Baqar Najafi and Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh, a three-member bench of the LHC heard the case today.
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During the hearing today, the LHC was apprised that neither the federal government nor NAB had any objection regarding the return of Maryam’s passport.
Amjad Pervez, Maryam Nawaz’s counsel, argued that it had been four years that no reference had been filed regarding the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case, adding that the situation would have been different had NAB filed a reference against her.
While talking about the “prolonged delay” in the case, Amjad said that it was tantamount to the misuse of the law. He added that a conviction in the Avenfield case could have caused hindrance in the return of her passport, but that case has been closed.
Meanwhile, the NAB prosecutor said that the anti-graft body does not know whether the case falls under their jurisdiction after the amendments to NAO Ordinance.
“There is no investigation pending against Maryam Nawaz and her passport is not required either,” he said.
The prosecutor said that he is not in a position to give a statement regarding this matter. The CJ asked if he has received any instructions, to which, the NAB prosecutor replied that the body has no objection to it.
