The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has decided to postpone the hearing of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz in the sugar mills case, citing the threat of Covid-19 and “public interest” as the reasons behind the delay.
This update came after the Lahore High Court (LHC) denied NAB’s request to have Maryam arrive at their office with a maximum of two support people, including an accountant.
LHC on Thursday rejected the anti-graft body’s plea to stop PML-N VP from coming to its office in the form of a rally.
The anti-graft body had moved the court in order to stop the PML-N leader from bringing her party workers to the NAB Lahore office where she has been summoned on March 26 for investigation in cases pertaining to Chaudhry Sugar Mills and illegal land transfer.
The court said in its remarks that every citizen is bound to follow the law which will come into force if any violation is committed by any individual.
“The meeting was informed that the NCOC [National Command Operation Center] has placed a complete ban on the gathering of all sorts of crowds,” a press release issued by NAB Lahore said.
“However, considering the NCOC recommendations, and in view of public interest, NAB has taken the principled decision that accused Maryam Nawaz’s appearance in NAB Lahore tomorrow has been postponed,” read the statement, adding that a new date for her appearance would be announced at “an appropriate time”.
The meeting also decided to direct the NAB administration to reverse all security measures that were being taken in preparation for the appearance, according to the handout.
Reacting to the news, Maryam slammed the anti-graft body for postponing the hearing.
Addressing the media after having a meeting with a delegation of Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M), the PML-N leader said that the anti-corruption watchdog has postponed the hearing of her case citing coronavirus but on the other hand coronavirus positive Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired the meeting with ministers.
“Anti-graft watchdog has postponed the hearing due to the coronavirus but why Covid-affected PM Imran chaired a meeting with ministers?” she questioned.
“The NAB has now turned into an institution of political victimisation,” the PML-N vice president alleged, adding that NAB sent her summon notice right after when the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) announced the long march.
Maryam claimed that she was attacked by NAB during her last appearance before the anti-corruption watchdog back in 2019. She said that the opposition leader in the Senate will be from PML-N.
It is pertinent her to mention that the anti-government alliance of nine parties had announced their decision to gather maximum party leaders and workers outside the NAB provincial headquarters on March 26, leading to the bureau to believe that its Lahore office might “come under attack”.
Earlier in the day, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Qamar Zaman Kaira reiterated that the members of the PDM would support PML-N Vice President Maryam to her hearing in front of NAB.
Addressing a presser alongside PML-N Punjab President Rana Sanaullah and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) senior leader Abdul Ghafoor Hyderi, he said: “The government thinks that the leaders can be stopped from their campaign with such notices, but we won’t let it happen. We won’t let victimisation rule the roost and we are united against it.”
He added that the responsibility of impeding her arrival before the bureau will be upon the government.
The PML-N Punjab president warned the government not to create any hurdles in the way of the PDM’s workers accompanying Maryam. Sanaullah further said that Maryam will leave for NAB with PDM leaders from Model Town.
JUI-F’s Haideri asked, “Are your [the government’s] efforts aimed only at humiliating the opposition leaders?” He said it was the PDM leaders decision to appear before NAB however, “appearing before an institution like NAB is a humiliation unto oneself.”
The PPP leader also reiterated that no attack would be launched against the NAB office.
Separately, PML-N VP once again hurled criticism at the PTI government, saying that the ballot paper is a death knell for the selected Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, which is afraid of facing the public after exploiting them for three years.
In a tweet on Thursday, Maryam said that those who are celebrating the postponement of the Daska by-election know that at some point, the election will be held and the people will cast their votes.
The PML-N VP said that PTI was avoiding accountability through vote because the public has had it with their government.
“Sometimes these people go to court to stop the public from voting, sometimes to stop them from rallying with Maryam”, she added.
The PML-N leader said that national institutions belong to the people, they cannot save PM Imran from the public’s wrath. This is why the selected government is trying to avoid elections at all cost, said Maryam.
Earlier, PML-N Vice President Maryam on Wednesday said that she has had enough of political revenge and has shown enough endurance but it is time to vie now.
After getting interim bail from the LHC till April 12, Maryam had talked to the media and said that NAB was being run by everyone except the institution itself. The PML-N leader had further said that Prime Minister Imran’s government was in trouble and the anti-graft body will not be allowed to save his sinking ship.
Maryam said that there were no differences with the PPP and such ups and downs are a part of politics. PML-N and PPP had individual strategies and some common goals under PDM, she added.
The PML-N vice-president asserted that she had a good relationship with PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. “I am Nawaz Sharif’s daughter, I am aware of the politics of tolerance, and know how to follow it,” she commented.
A day earlier, the high court had approved Maryam’s interim bail till April 12 and barred the NAB from arresting her.
A two-member bench had heard the PML-N VP’s plea as she moved the court, requesting an interim bail ahead of her NAB hearing on March 26. The court had directed Maryam to appear before the NAB investigation officer. The court issued notice to the NAB chairman and summoned a reply in the next hearing.
PML-N’s Muhammad Safdar, Sanaullah and Pervaiz Rasheed were present in the courtroom along with Maryam who had been summoned by the anti-corruption watchdog in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills and illegal land transfer cases. She had challenged the NAB notices afterwards.
Earlier, the Punjab government had approved the NAB request to declare its Lahore office as a red zone on March 25 and 26 due to Maryam’s hearing.
The provincial regime approved to appoint Rangers and police around the accountability bureau office, and a letter had been written to the Ministry of Interior seeking the Rangers’ services in this regard.
