Top anti-graft body Tuesday apprised the Lahore High Court (LHC) that no more PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz passport required which she had surrendered before the court as condition to get post-arrest bail in Chaudhry Sugar Mills case.
National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had previously opposed the petition seeking the return of Maryam’s passport, however, the bureau informed the court on Tuesday saying it no longer needed the PML-N leader’s passport. The anti-graft watchdog submitted the reply to a full bench, which was constituted earlier this month after several judges recused themselves from hearing Maryam’s plea in the matter.
The LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti headed the bench comprising Justice Ali Baqar Najafi and Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh. The bench had sought the NAB’s reply in the case at the last hearing after Maryam’s counsel had contended that she had remained in the burea’s custody for 48 days but the anti-graft watchdog had failed to complete the investigation or file a reference before the trial court despite.
He had also argued that Maryam willingly returned to Pakistan from the United Kingdom to serve her sentence in other NAB cases and had asked the court to return her passport so she could visit her ailing father, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, in London. During Tuesday’ hearing, Advocate Amjad Pervez, counsel for Maryam failed to appear before the court to which the bench adjourned hearing of the matter till October 03.
While invoking jurisdiction of the LHC in the matter, Maryam submitted that it was a known fact that her father, Nawaz, was allowed to go abroad on account of his critical health condition. She claimed that her father had not regained his health so far as he was still undergoing diagnosis process as per a medical report filed in the court, duly attested by the Pakistan High Commission in London.
She submitted that despite absence of any charge sheet against her or trial, she had not been able to exercise her fundamental rights for about four years on account of surrendering her passport in compliance with the court order.
The PML-N leader pleaded that she was in dire need to go abroad to attend to and inquire after her ailing father. She asked the court to direct the deputy registrar (judicial) to return her passport in the interest of justice.
