Daily Times

An accountability court in Lahore extended the judicial remand of PML-N’s Maryam Nawaz and her cousin, Yousaf Abbas, till October 25 in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case.

During the hearing, the judge asked NAB prosecutor when will the reference be filed.

He replied saying that it is in its final stages and will be filed after the approval of the bureau’s chairperson.

Talking to media, Maryam Nawaz said that she is being subjected to political revenge as she has no link with Chaudhry Sugar Mills’s case.

On occasion, stringent security measures have been taken to avoid any untoward incident.

On the other hand, a two-member bench of Lahore High Court (LHC) is all set to hear bail plea of the PML-N vice president in the case today.

Earlier on October 15, a combined NAB investigation team had interrogated former premier Nawaz Sharif in Chaudhry Sugar Mills corruption case. However, he was unable to record satisfactory answers.

On August 8, the NAB team had detained Maryam Nawaz outside the Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore for skipping appearance in Chaudhry Sugar Mills due to meeting with her father and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Maryam Nawaz was unable to provide the required details of foreign investment in sugar mills while she was also failed to satisfy the bureau regarding the source of income for purchasing the shares. NAB has also claimed that three foreigners had transferred 11000 shares worth millions of rupees on Maryam Nawaz’s name.

The anti-corruption watchdog’s daycare centre was declared sub-jail for the PML-N leader while female police and NAB personnel were deployed for her.

On July 19, the accountability court had turned down the petition of NAB claiming Maryam Nawaz had produced a bogus trust deed in Avenfield reference.

Judge Mohammad Bashir had declared anti-corruption watchdog’s appeal as unmaintainable and ruled that no action can be taken in this regard until the decision of Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Maryam’s petition against the Avenfield properties verdict.

On July 6, 2018, accountability judge Mohammad Bashir had convicted former premier Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz in Avenfield properties reference and sentenced them 10 years and 07 years imprisonment, respectively.

In the verdict, Judge Bashir had declared that “The trust deeds produced by the accused Maryam Nawaz were also found bogus… In view of the role of this accused Maryam Nawaz, she is convicted and sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for seven years with a fine of two million pounds.”

She was arrested and shifted to Adiala jail. Later, in September 2018, she was released from jail after the Islamabad High Court suspended her prison sentence.

Maryam is accused of receiving Rs160 million via telegraphic transfers from a woman, Siddiqa Saeed, in 1998, according to the National Accountability Bureau. She allegedly transferred the amount to the Chaudhry Sugar Mills. She was arrested on August 8 for not cooperating with NAB during its investigation.