NAB granted time to file rejoinder in Maryam Nawaz's bail cancellation plea

(Karachi) The Lahore High Court (LHC) has granted time to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to file a rejoinder in a petition seeking cancellation of PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz’s bail in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case, local media reported on Wednesday.

As per details, a two-judge bench headed by Justice Sarfraz Dogar heard the case. Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s daughter submitted her response to the national graft buster’s plea.

A NAB prosecutor requested the bench to gave him some time to go through her response and file a rejoinder. Granting his request, the court adjourned a further hearing of the case for an indefinite period.

Earlier, submitting her six-page response in court, Maryam stated that the NAB has kept a complete silence for 14 months in the case before summoning her again.

She added that the cases filed by the anti-graft watchdog and arrests aimed to suppress her voice. She maintained that NAB is acting as a government's spokesperson rather decide cases on merit.

The PML-N vice president said that the LHC had granted bail to her in the case on merit after listening to the stance of the NAB. Furthermore, she stated that NAB’s duty is eliminating corruption but not to take action over political statements.

On August 8, 2019, Maryam and her cousin Yousuf Abbas were arrested by NAB in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case. Later, on September 25, they were sent to jail on judicial remand by an accountability court in Lahore.

The accountability watchdog suspects Maryam of involvement in money laundering through investments of variable heavy amounts being the main shareholder of the Chaudhry Sugar Mills. It has alleged that she was involved in money laundering with the help of some foreigners during the period from 1992 to 1993 when Nawaz was the prime minister.