Jati Umra land inquiry by NAB: LHC grants pre-arrest bail to Maryam till April 12

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday granted interim pre-arrest bail to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz till April 12 in the Jati Umra illegal land (approximately 1,500 Kanals) acquisition inquiry by the National Accountability Bureau.

A division bench comprising Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Asjad Javed Ghural heard Maryam’s petition challenging the NAB’s call-up notice summoning her on March 26 and restrained the bureau from arresting Maryam and directed her to appear before the NAB investigating officer. At the same time, it asked the PML-N vice president to submit two surety bonds of Rs 1 million each and issued a notice to the NAB chairman, directing him to submit his response in the case.

Earlier, after her arrival at the LHC, Maryam along with her lawyers appeared before LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan, and requested him to fix her bail plea for the same day. Her husband Capt (retd) Safdar, party leaders Pervez Rashid and Rana Sanaullah were present.

CJ Qasim Khan ordered the deputy registrar to fix the case for the same day before the relevant court. He ordered the DSP Security to take Maryam to the court room under tight security.

At the hearing, Maryam’s counsel, recently elected PML-N Senator Azam Nazir Tarar, feared that the NAB could arrest her, arguing that the anti-graft watchdog’s impression has not been good judging from past experiences. He argued that all investigations had already been completed in the Panama Papers probe. He informed the court that Maryam had previously been arrested in connection with the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case but was released on bail. The counsel argued that issuing a call-up notice for personal appearance “in a matter where submission of record may serve the purpose tends to show that the same has been issued for reasons other than bona fide”.

“Indeed, the registration of series of cases and repeated arrests of the petitioner at the behest of the government are classic examples of misuse of process of respondent bureau to muffle the voice of the petitioner as a leader of the opposition party,” he said.

Maryam has maintained in her petition: “The assumption of jurisdiction, issuance of call-up notices and proceedings in pursuance thereof are prompted by mala fide intention at the behest of the government for political vendetta and considerations extraneous to law. The call-up notice is general and vague and the same does not specify the fact, point, nature of allegation and its nexus with the petitioner who admittedly has never remained holder of any public office.” She prayed to the court to grant her pre-arrest bail in inquiry No 1(9)HQ/2182/IW-II/NAB-L mentioned in the call-up notice issued by the NAB.

The NAB is probing Maryam for 1500 Kanals that she allegedly purchased in Jati Umra, Lahore, illegally, using official resources and for money laundering in connection with the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case. In the money laundering investigation, she has been on bail since November 2019. The anti-graft body had also moved the Lahore High Court, seeking cancellation of her bail following which the court issued her a notice for April 7.

The NAB has accused Maryam of committing money laundering through investments of variable heavy amounts being the main shareholder of the Chaudhry Sugar Mills. It said she was involved in money laundering with the help of some foreigners in 1992-93 when her father was the prime minister. The NAB has summoned her on Friday in both the cases. The PML-N and Maryam expressed fear that the NAB would arrest her in the land case.

Speaking to the media outside the court premises, Maryam said the cases filed against her were politically motivated. She maintained that NAB was doing nothing except engaging in revenge politics against her “on the orders of [PM] Imran Khan, now that his government is in trouble.”

“The NAB will not be given a chance to save Imran Khan’s sinking ship,” the PML-N leader asserted, adding that she had decided to fight the “premier’s revenge politics”, and will not be an easy prey this time. She alleged that if the government had not been in trouble, the NAB would not have needed to summon her. She added that the NAB was being run by everyone except by the NAB itself.

Addressing concerns regarding the differences between her party and the PPP, she maintained that both the parties had their own strategies, although there are some common goals that have united them under the umbrella of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM). She said she maintains a good relationship with PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. She said the opposition alliance would decide its own course of action without any outside interference.

Maryam also spoke about the Punjab government’s decision to declare the NAB Lahore office premises a Red Zone, calling it a cowardly act. She said the move shows the government was trembling with fear of an ‘unarmed’ woman. She claimed that she was summoned to the NAB office and attacked, adding that her car was targeted by a laser gun which was recorded on video.

In a related development, the NAB has approached the LHC to stop Maryam from bringing party workers for her appearance at its office on Friday. In its petition, the NAB said Maryam was "in no mood to cooperate with the ongoing investigation" and had "threatened the NAB authorities that she would not appear alone" on March 26. It added that Maryam had "planned to come to the NAB office in Lahore with a view to sabotaging the investigation process and evade any hearing that may take place before the NAB authorities".

The NAB requested the LHC to order Maryam to "cooperate and appear before the investigation agency without making a law and order situation". It also requested the court to direct Maryam to appear alone on March 26 and on subsequent dates with a maximum of two people, of whom one could be an accountant.