LAHORE: A day after opposition’s 10-party alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) postponed its anti-government long march, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Wednesday summoned PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz for March 26 in money-laundering investigation in connection with the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case after a gap of seven months.

The NAB had not summoned Ms Nawaz since August last when violence erupted outside its Lahore headquarters on her arrival to record statement in investigation against her.

Ms Nawaz is facing two inquiries -- money laundering and illegal land acquisition in Raiwind. Both investigations were pending against her for quite some time.

The NAB got active against Ms Nawaz following her tirade against it. Earlier, the national anti-graft body moved the Lahore High Court seeking cancellation of the post-arrest bail granted to her in November 2019 in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills’ case. The court has issued a notice to her for April 7.

In the call-up notice issued on Wednesday under section 19 of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999 in the investigation against owners/ management of M/s Chaudhry Sugar Mills owned by Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and others, the NAB said the competent authority had taken cognisance of an offence alleged to have been committed under the provisions of the NAO and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2010.

The bureau described Maryam Nawaz’s previous reply filed in January 2020 as “vague, unclear and unsatisfactory.” It said during her previous appearance at the bureau’s Lahore office in July 2019 and also during her physical remand she did not offer satisfactory reply to the combined investigation team’s queries on the pretext that the relevant record/ information was being arranged by her.

She was directed to bring the record related to the “Return of Allotments dated June, 1992 pertaining to M/s CSM which shows an equity injection of Rs8,640,000 as her contribution towards the seed money for establishing CSM. Provide the source of this investment.”

The NAB also asked her to provide details regarding original share purchase agreements/ transfer deed pertaining to 11.5 million ordinary shares of the CSM transferred in her name in 2008 by following foreign nationals -- Seed Saif Bin Jabar Al-Suwaidi (UAE national), Sheikh Zakauddin (UK national) and Hani Ahmad Jamjoom (Saudi national).

Ms Nawaz was also asked to bring the record related to the source of funds along with trail of payment made to the aforesaid foreign nationals for purchase of aforesaid 11.5 million shares, if any.

A couple of days ago, Maryam had questioned NAB’s jurisdiction to judge her political statements, demanding registration of a case against the bureau for transgressing its mandate. She had also taken the NAB to task for, what she said, filing a frivolous petition in the high court to get her bail cancelled.

In response to her frontal attack, the NAB said Ms Nawaz had been trying to “influence” the corruption and money-laundering probe against the Sharif family through her “seditious” statements.

Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2021