NAB puts off Maryam’s hearing amid ‘virus spike’

Ag Agencies

LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday said it was postponing today’s (Friday) hearing of Maryam Nawaz, who rallied workers of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) to join her in solidarity for her appearance at the anti-graft body’s Lahore office.

In a press release issued later on Thursday, NAB’s Lahore branch said the decision was made after a high-level meeting was held to discuss the hearing, keeping in mind “recommendations provided by the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC)”. The meeting was informed that the NCOC had banned gatherings of all kinds over coronavirus fears.

Maryam was summoned by NAB on March 26 in connection with the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case, as well as the purchase of land in Raiwind.

The decision came as PDM leaders warned the government against creating any obstacles for the opposition on Friday. Elaborate security arrangements had been made ahead of Maryam’s appearance, with the NAB Lahore office declared a “red zone” and Punjab Rangers and police directed to provide protection to the bureau staff.

Maryam, meanwhile, held a defiant press conference, in which she once again said she would not be “easy prey” for the anti-graft body, which termed a “tool of oppression”. She criticised the Prime Minister and NAB in her media talk.

Prime Minister Imran Khan, earlier in the afternoon, had warned that he would not allow anyone “to take the law into their own hands” during Maryam Nawaz’s appearance, Geo News reported. He made the remarks during a meeting with the government’s media team at his residence in which he was briefed on the country’s political situation. The same day, the Lahore High Court disposed of a petition filed by the NAB seeking directives for Maryam Nawaz to not bring her party workers to the bureau offices during her appearance.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Sardar Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Asjad Ghural observed that it was the responsibility of the state to maintain law and order, questioning why the matter was raised before the court. “It is a political issue, and why is the court being pulled into it?” Dogar asked.

He also asked where was the state, adding that if somebody would not obey the law, then the law would take its own course. He observed that maintaining law and order was the responsibility of the state and “it should fulfil it”. Subsequently, the court disposed of the petition, and held that “everyone should obey the law, and if someone does not do so, then the law will take its own course”.