Chaudhry Sugar Mills case: LHC takes up Maryam’s bail plea today

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday heard arguments of PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz’s counsel on her bail petition in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills (CSM) money laundering case and adjourned the hearing till Thursday (today) for counter arguments by the prosecution.

Resuming his arguments before a two-judge bench, Maryam’s counsel Amjad Pervez said the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has been subjecting the petitioner to double jeopardy and invoking the laws retrospectively. He argued that Maryam has never been an active shareholder of the CSM while her uncle and cousin have been looking after business affairs after the death of her grandfather Mian Sharif who had established the mill in 1991. He said all properties, business concerns and companies of the Sharif family including the CSM have already been investigated by a Joint Investigation Team formed by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in the Panama Papers case. He said the JIT has not approved a reference regarding the CSM or assets owned by Maryam.

The counsel said the petitioner has been charged with offence of abetment which was included in the jurisdiction of the NAB through an amendment in its ordinance in 2002. Moreover, the Anti-Money Laundering Act was also enacted in 2010. Therefore, he said, invoking both the laws retrospectively by the bureau is a clear violation of the Constitution and the law settled by the apex court in the country. He said the petitioner never held any public office and remained dependent upon Mr Sharif. Section 9 (a) (v) of the NAO 1999 was not attracted in the case.

NAB Additional Prosecutor General Jahanzeb Bharwana was present in the court during the arguments from the petitioner’s counsel. He will resume his arguments on Thursday (today).

The NAB accused Maryam of committing money laundering through investments of variable heavy amounts, being main shareholder of the CSM. It said she was involved in money laundering with the help of some foreigners in 1992-93 when her father Nawaz Sharif was prime minister.