LHC gives NAB time to file rejoinder to Maryam’s reply

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday allowed time to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to file its rejoinder to a reply by PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz in a petition of the bureau seeking cancellation of bail granted to her in a money laundering case pertaining to the Chaudhry Sugar Mills.

As a two-judge bench resumed hearing of the NAB petition, Special Prosecutor Faisal Raza Bokhari sought time to file a rejoinder of the bureau after going through the reply submitted by the respondent. Headed by Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar, the bench allowed the request and adjourned further hearing till April 28.

The NAB had argued that Maryam had been misusing the bail by continuously attacking the state institutions through political speeches and social media. It said she had been involved in anti-state propaganda supporting the nefarious designs of the enemies of Pakistan.

However, in her reply, Maryam denied the charges, saying the bureau’s petition was enough to prove that the chairman of the NAB acted in colourable exercise of authority. She said she was a true believer in rule of law, across-the-board accountability and independence of institutions including the NAB. She also rebuffed the charge of misusing the concession of bail in any manner whatsoever. A two-judge bench had released Maryam on November 4, 2019 on bail with a directive to surrender her passport to the registrar of the court as the anti-graft watchdog suspected she could flee the country.