Observer Report Lahore
The Lahore High Court on Monday sought Maryam Nawaz’ response on the National Accountability Bureau’s plea requesting to cancel her bail over ‘misusing the bail and tarnishing the image of state institutions.’
On Saturday, the anti-graft authority moved LHC seeking the cancellation of bail in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case.
As the proceedings began, a division bench headed by Justice Sardar Sarfraz Dogar inquired the bureau as to why it sat idle after the registration of an FIR against Maryam and PML-N lawmakers for allegedly attacking NAB’s Lahore region office.
In its response, NAB argued that there were political activities in the country such as Senate elections, saying they avoided summoning her as the PML-N would use it to take advantage amongst the public.
NAB prosecutor Syed Faisal Raza Bukhari claimed that they summoned Maryam but she didn’t bother to appear before the bureau.
Following NAB’s notice, he added, at onestage, she appeared at the office but got attacked with stones by her own workers. Later, an FIR was registered against her and other lawmakers, he maintained.
Justice Dogar observed that Maryam had already been in NAB’s remand, so why did the bureau decide to summon her again.
Bukhari responded saying that the bail did not mean that the PML-N leader had been acquitted, adding she had to appear whenever summoned.
Justice Dogar inquired as to who was authorised to argue in the case, observing that it was the deputy prosecutor general Chaudhary Khaleeq-uz-Zaman.
