Jati Umra land case: LHC grants interim bail to Maryam Nawaz till April 12

By News Desk

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday granted interim bail to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz in the Jati Umra land case until April 12.

She was told to submit two surety bonds of Rs1 million and directed to appear before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) investigation team.

The bench, comprising Justice Sardar Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Asjad Ghural, passed the orders on a pre-arrest bail petition filed by Maryam Nawaz in the Jati Umra land case and also issued notices to NAB authorities.

Maryam, along with her counsel Advocate Amjad Pervaiz and Advocate Azam Tarar, appeared before the court. The counsels argued that the NAB had issued call-up notices to their client and summoned her for March 26 in an inquiry relating to Jati Umra land transfer, as well as Chaudhry Sugar Mills. They argued that the bureau had all records of Jati Umra land, whereas, the physical presence of the petitioner was not required. They argued that the call-up notice was general and vague and it did not specify the nature of allegations and its nexus with the petition.

The counsel argued that the matter was still at the stage of inquiry and nothing had to be recovered from the petitioner, whereas, her arrest would not serve any ends of justice.

They submitted that the bureau had issued the call-up notice with mala fide intentions and it was feared the petitioner might be arrested under the garb of the call-up notice. They pleaded with the court to grant pre-arrest bail to the petitioner in Jati Umra land inquiry, as well as interim bail till the final decision of the petition. At this, the bench granted interim bail to Maryam Nawaz till April 12 and also issued notices to bureau.

The bureau had summoned Maryam Nawaz over the purchase of approximately 1,440-kanals land in Mouza Sultankay, Mouza Mall, Mouza Asal Lakhowal and Mouza Bado Ki San districts of Lahore “illegally”.

NAB asked Maryam to provide details of the land acquired/ purchased in each of the said villages and income derived from the said agricultural land, as well as the sources of funds for the purchase of these lands.

As per NAB, the Sharif family in 2013 had acquired 3,568 kanals of land, allegedly in connivance with a former DCO and an ex-DG of the Lahore Development Authority during the tenure of Shahbaz Sharif as chief minister. Out of it, 1,936 kanals were allotted to the Sharif brothers’ mother Shamim Bibi, 96 kanals each to Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif and 1,440 to Maryam.

Meanwhile, Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid at a press conference said his ministry has approved the deployment of Rangers outside the NAB’s Lahore office at the Punjab government’s request. The minister clarified that the Punjab police would “lead from the front” in providing security to the office.

Earlier, the NAB, also asked the authorities to declare its Lahore office a “red zone” after the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) said it would accompany Maryam the day she appears before the anti-graft watchdog.

“Genuine political leaders do not use workers as a shield, rather [they] lead from the front,” said Rashid. “The PML-N’s show of power outside NAB office is not for the government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf but to pressurise the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).”