LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday informed the Lahore High Court (LHC) that it had withdrawn its plea from the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) challenging a judicial direction for placing a termination report before a trial court for the closure of Chaudhry Sugar Mills investigation against Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.

A deputy prosecutor general for the NAB further told a LHC full bench that the FCC office had returned the petition raising an objection to its maintainability.

Chief Justice Aalia Neelum, who headed the bench, instructed the NAB prosecutor to submit the details through a civil miscellaneous application.

The prosecutor sought time for the purpose and the bench adjourned further hearing till May 4.

At the last hearing, the bench had sought clarity from the NAB about the status of its plea in the FCC challenging the LHC order.

The full bench seized with a civil miscellaneous application by the chief minister seeking the refund of Rs70 million deposited as a guarantee for bail in the sugar mills case.

Justice Muhammad Jawad Zafar and Justice Abher Gul Khan were other members of the bench.

Through Advocate Javed Arshad, the chief minister filed the application after an accountability court on March 16 allowed a NAB plea for the closure of the sugar mills investigation against her.

The accountability court declared that Maryam may withdraw her surety bond of Rs70 million furnished against the post-arrest bail granted to her in the case.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2026