LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has once again summoned PML-N Vice President Mohtarma Maryam Nawaz Sharif for questioning in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case.
Maryam has been asked to turn up at the NAB Lahore office on March 26. Sources claim she will be quizzed in light of the new evidence the bureau has received. The PML-N leader faces charges of alleged involvement in money laundering.
The previous hearing, on August 11, 2020, was adjourned after a clash between PMLN workers and police when Maryam Nawaz reached the NAB office.
Following the violent situation, the bureau cancelled the hearing. Many people were injured and around 50 men were rounded up after police fired tear gas besides hurling back stones at the activists, with each side blaming the other for triggering the clash.
Meanwhile, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday has dismissed the recent statement of PML-N leader by terming it an attempt to halt ongoing investigation against the Sharif family in Chaudhry Sugar Mills and money laundering cases.
According to the statement released by the NAB Lahore, the bureau stated that Maryam tried to create differences among the institutions. “Anti statements regarding NAB and judiciary had been given in the past and attack over NAB Lahore office last year is evidence of it.”
“Maryam Nawaz statement is a pure lie,” adding that “PML-N leader tried to give the impression that NAB cases are politically motivated.”
“Stones were pelted at the NAB Lahore office through an organized plan,” the bureau stated in the statement.
“NAB is an independent institution and striving to eliminate corruption from the country without any discrimination. Mega corruption cases will be brought to a logical end,” it stated.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz previously lashed out at the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for moving the Lahore High Court (LHC) to seek cancellation of her bail.
Speaking to the media, Maryam said that the government is now using the judiciary for arm-twisting of opponents.
“The NAB has now turned into an institution of political victimisation,” the PML-N vice president alleged, adding whenever the corruption watchdog will summon her she will turn up before it to expose it.
Maryam also raised the question on the credibility of NAB, “Who gave you the right to judge statements? Your job was to supposedly stop corruption. Now that you’ve failed in that, you have changed your responsibilities?”
She added that the various institutions such as the army and the courts had their own spokespersons so “who had appointed NAB as the spokesperson.”
Maryam claimed that the institution (NAB) did not know the boundaries of its own authority, adding that a case should be registered against it.
The PMLN vice president said that she had presented herself at the NAB office for her hearing but the institution itself resorted to delaying tactics and did not attend to her. She also claimed that NAB had still not been able to successfully register a reference against her over the charges she had been arrested for.
“If a politician will not do politics than what else will he/she do? I am a Pakistani citizen, the Constitution and the law give me the right. If you think you will intimidate me by threatening me of getting my bail revoked and sending me behind bars, it won’t work,” Maryam said.
About the Senate election, Maryam stated that: “the scandal of the installation of cameras in the Senate hall is bigger than [rejection of votes cast in favour of Yousuf Raza Gillani in the Senate chairman election].” PDM will take the matter to a court. “InshAllah, Yousuf Raza Gillani will win.”
Meanwhile, Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday has sought a reply from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president, Mohtarma Maryam Nawaz Sharif, on April 7 on a National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) plea challenging her bail in Chaudhry Sugar Mills case.
A two-member bench of LHC has conducted the hearing during which, Chaudhry Khaleeq-uz-Zaman and Faisal Bukhari appeared before the court from the NAB side while Maryam Nawaz didn’t attend the proceedings.
NAB lawyer told the LHC judges that PML-N leader is misusing her bail and not appearing before the anti-graft watchdog. Maryam Nawaz had pelted stones at the NAB office with the help of her activists, he alleged.
The NAB representative further adopted the stance that inquiry against PML-N vice present has been changed into the investigation.
