LAHORE: A full bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday admitted a petition filed by PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz for return of her passport.
Issuing notices to all concerned including NAB for September 29, the court remarked that the questions raised in the petition needed consideration. “It is imperative to hear the other side as well,” the court added. The bench, headed by Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti, also included Justice Ali Baqar Najafi and Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh.
It is pertinent to note that the PML-N leader’s efforts to get back her passport have seen a protracted legal battle as all benches that were assigned the petition till date had to be dissolved after a number of judges recused themselves from hearing her petition owing to various reasons.
Amjad Pervaiz Advocate appeared before the court on behalf of Maryam Nawaz. NAB Prosecutor Syed Faisal Raza Bukhari and Additional Attorney General Nasr Ahmad also appeared before the court. While presenting his arguments before the court, Amjad Pervaiz said that the inquiry of Chaudhary Sugar Mills had been started in 2018.
“Maryam Nawaz was arrested in the case, and she was granted bail by the Lahore High Court (LHC) after her arrest,” he added. “Maryam submitted Rs70 million and her passport to the LHC for bail. The accusation was of Rs70 million; therefore, she had deposited the same amount,” he stated.
“It’s been four years. No reference has been filed. It is requested that the passport of Maryam Nawaz should be returned to her,” Amjad Pervaiz pleaded with the court. “When Maryam Nawaz was handed down sentence, she returned to Pakistan. The deposit of the money shows her good intentions; therefore, the court should abolish the condition of keeping the passport with it,” he added.
Upon this, the LHC chief justice questioned whether the sentence in Avonfield reference had been suspended conditionally by the Islamabad High Court (IHC). “The IHC has suspended the sentence on merit without any condition. The court has not placed Maryam Nawaz’s name on Exit Control List (ECL), nor has it restricted her movement abroad,” Amjad Pervaiz told the court.
“Maryam Nawaz’s name is not on the ECL. She has come to the door of the court after four years,” he added. Upon this, the court declared the petition of Maryam Nawaz for return of her passport admissible. The court also issued notices to all the parties including NAB and sought their response on September 27 next. “The questions raised in the petition are worthy of consideration, it is necessary to hear the stance of the opposing parties,” the LHC chief justice remarked.
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