Daily Times

An accountability court on Monday gave prime accused Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Yousuf Abbas immunity from physical court appearances in ongoing Chaudhry Sugar Mills Case.

According to details, the immunity has been granted till a formal reference is submitted against the accused by the anti-graft body investigating the case.

The court has said that the accused will be called to court after the reference is submitted.

Consular representing Sharif family said that all three suspects in the case had recieved bails from the high court.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has summoned former prime minister Nawaz Sharif for investigation in land scam case related to the editor-in-chief of Jang Group of Newspapers and owner of Geo News Mir Shakilur Rahman, ARY News reported on March 15.

Sources said that Nawaz Sharif has been summoned by the anti-corruption watchdog’s Lahore chapter on March 20 in the case related to land scam when Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) supremo was the then chief minister of Punjab in 1986.

Sharif is facing accusations of illegal allotment of land as the then Punjab CM to Mir Shakilur Rehman.

NAB sources said the institution has found evidences against Nawaz Sharif in Mir Shakil’s land scam case.

The Sharif family has been accused of using CSM for money-laundering and illegal transfer of its shares According to NAB, the family took a $15 million loan on the pretext to set up the mill despite the fact that it had already been established before the loan was acquired.

The NAB maintains that more than Rs7 million worth of shares were transferred to PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz in 2008 through mill’s shares, which were later transferred to her cousin Yousaf Abbas Sharif in 2010.

Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court on Monday granted protective bail to ex- prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in illegal appointment case.

The Islamabad High Court granted protective bail to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N for four weeks.

Former Prime Minister had filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking protective bail in an illegal appointment case against him. Barrister Zafarullah Khan has filed the petition on Abbasi’s behalf on Saturday.

The Accountability Court, Karachi, on Friday issued non-bailable warrants for former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in a reference about the illegal appointment.

The anti-graft watchdog also filed second reference against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in the illegal appoint of Imran-ul-Haq as PSO managing director in a Karachi accountability court.

NAB in December last year filed a reference in the accountability court against Mr Abbasi, Mr Ismail, former managing director of the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) Sheikh Imranul Haq, former chairman of Ogra Saeed Ahmed Khan, Ogra chairperson Uzma Adil Khan, Engro group chairman Hussain Dawood, former chairman of the Port Qasim Authority (PQA) Agha Jan Akhtar, former member of Ogra Aamir Naseem, another former managing director of PSO Shahid M. Islam and PSO official Abdul Sammad.

Mr Abbasi was arrested in connection with the case in July. He is accused of awarding a 15-year contract for an LNG terminal allegedly when he was petroleum minister in former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s cabinet.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) had granted bail to Abbasi in Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) reference on February 25.