An accountability court has ordered the closure of the inquiry against Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz and former Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case after accepting a request filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
The order was issued by Accountability Court Judge Rana Arif during a hearing on NAB’s application seeking permission to formally close the inquiry. The court approved the request, bringing the investigation into the assets of the two leaders to an end.
During the proceedings, both NAB’s prosecutor and the counsel representing the Sharif family presented their arguments before the court. The NAB prosecutor stated that the inquiry had been closed after amendments to the NAB law curtailed the bureau’s jurisdiction over the matter.
According to the prosecution, the inquiry concerned the assets of Chaudhry Sugar Mills’ owners, Maryam Nawaz and Nawaz Sharif. However, investigators did not find any evidence of corruption, and under the revised legal framework, NAB could no longer continue the inquiry.
Counsel for the Sharif family, Javed Arshad Bhatti, also presented arguments supporting the closure of the case.
The court further allowed Maryam Nawaz to withdraw the surety amount of Rs70 million she had earlier deposited as bail security in the Chaudhry Sugar Mill case.
Earlier, Maryam Nawaz had approached the Lahore High Court seeking the return of the surety money. The high court had directed that NAB should first file an application before the accountability court seeking permission to close the inquiry. It also ruled that the trial court would decide the matter of returning the surety after the inquiry was formally closed.
Following the court’s directives, NAB filed the application in the accountability court, which has now granted permission to terminate the inquiry.
Separately, the NAB has challenged the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) decision related to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case before the Federal Constitutional Court.
The LHC, in November 2019, released Maryam in the sugar mills case on bail, subject to surrendering her passport to the court. Later, an LHC full bench, in October 2022, returned her passport after the NAB said it did not require the travel document anymore.
In its petition, the NAB argued that the high court interfered in the authority of the NAB chairman by questioning the decision to close the inquiry against CM Maryam.
The bureau requested the constitutional court to declare the high court’s February 4, 2026, order null and void, maintaining that the accountability watchdog had the legal authority to withdraw proceedings before filing a reference.