The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday granted bail to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case, a private TV channel reported.
A divisional bench headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi had reserved the verdict on October 31.
In its verdict, the court directed Maryam Nawaz to submit her passport with the court and submit two surety bonds of Rs100 million each. The court also directed the PML-N leader to also deposit 70 million separately with the court.
“Since the prosecution has shown the bank statement of the […] petitioner in which on 28.11.2011 […] Rs7 crores were withdrawn and the prosecution has apprehension of fleeing away of the petitioner, therefore, to satisfy our judicial conscience we would pass a conditional order,” says the court’s written order, granting Maryam bail under Article 199 of the constitution.
Maryam Nawaz’s lawyer Amjad Pervez told the TV channel that the bail has been granted on the merits of the case and not on humanitarian grounds. The LHC asked Maryam Nawaz to submit her passport to satisfy ‘judicial conscience’ as prosecution expressed apprehension that she may flee the country.
During the hearing, 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 the PML-N leader has never been an active shareholder of the mills while her uncle and cousin have been looking after business affairs after the death of her grandfather Mian Sharif who had established the mills in 1991. He said all the properties, business concerns and companies of the Sharif family including the mills have already been investigated by a joint investigation team formed by the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case. He said the JIT has not approved a reference regarding the mills or assets owned by Maryam.
PML-N supporters gathered outside the court celebrated the bench’s order while party president Shehbaz Sharif via a statement welcomed the decision. He also appealed to the supporters to not indulge in celebrations or distribute sweets and instead pray for former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s health. PPP Senator Sherry Rehman also welcomed the verdict, saying, “Hope that the PPP leadership, including former president Zardari who is in custody for questioning, will also be released soon. Keeping political opponents in jail with no wrong proven is bad news.” Maryam and her cousin Yousuf Abbas were arrested by NAB on August 8 in the case. Later, on September 25, they were sent to jail on judicial remand by an accountability court in Lahore.
