LHC grants bail to Maryam Nawaz in Chaudhry Sugar Mills case, orders release

Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday granted bail to PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz, who was arrested on August 8 in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills (CSM) case.

A bank of two members of the higher court, composed of Judge Ali Baqar Najafi and Judge Sardar Ahmad Naeem, announced the verdict. The legal representatives of Maryam and the National Responsibility Office (NAB) were present in court.

The PML-N leader was ordered to provide two bonds, each worth Rs10 million, and deposit an additional Rs70million and deliver his passport to secure his release.

"Since the prosecution showed the bank statement of the […] petitioner in which on 28.11.2011 […] Million rupees were withdrawn and the prosecution is afraid to flee the petitioner, therefore, to satisfy our judicial conscience, we would approve a conditional order, "says the court's written order, granting Maryam's bail under Article 199 of the Constitution.

PML-N supporters gathered outside the court celebrated the bank's order while party president Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the decision in a statement.

He also called on supporters not to give themselves to celebrations or distribute candy and instead pray for the health of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The PPP senator, Sherry Rehman, also welcomed the court's verdict, adding: "I hope that the leadership of the PPP, including President Zardari, who is in custody for questioning, will also be released soon. Keep those political opponents in jail without incorrect evidence is bad news. "

The arguments conclude

The bank had reserved its verdict in the case on October 31 after both the petitioner and NAB had concluded their arguments.

The vice president of the PML-N approached the high court on September 30 in search of a post-arrest bond in the CSM case, in which she is suspected of money laundering.

Following the sudden deterioration of his father's health, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif filed a miscellaneous petition on October 24 in search of an immediate bond based on fundamental rights and humanitarian reasons. On October 29, the High Court of Islamabad suspended his father's sentence in the Al Azizia case for eight weeks.

Before the court reserved its verdict on Maryam's bail statement, the NAB's additional attorney general, Jahanzaib Bharwana, had opposed his request for bail for humanitarian reasons and said: "The Court's sentences Supreme have established that a suspect can only be granted bail in extraordinary circumstances. "

"The case of Maryam Nawaz does not qualify as extraordinary."

The PML-N leader was allowed to see his father once last month when she herself entered the Services Hospital due to some health complaints. The development occurred after the party sent a request to the Department of Home of Punjab asking for a special permit to be granted.

Maryam's Arrest

Maryam and her cousin Yousuf Abbas were arrested by NAB on August 8 in the CSM case. Later, on September 25, an accountability court in Lahore sent them to pretrial detention.

The accountability officer suspects that Maryam is involved in money laundering through investments of large variable amounts, being the main shareholder of the CSM. It is alleged that she was involved in money laundering with the help of some foreigners during the period 1992-93, when Nawaz was the prime minister.

Maryam was sentenced last year by a court of responsibility in the Avenfield corruption case and was sentenced to seven years in prison. His sentence was later suspended by the Islamabad High Court, as he was hearing a review appeal.