Maryam granted bail in Chaudhry sugar mills case.

Byline: Wajih Ahmad Sheikh

LAHORE -- The Lahore High Court on Monday granted post-arrest bail to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz vice president Maryam Nawaz in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills (CSM) case, observing that the 'bail cannot be withheld as a punishment'.

While announcing the judgement that it had reserved last week, a two-judge bench comprising Justice Ali Baqar Najafi and Justice Sardar Ahmad Naeem asked Ms Maryam to surrender her passport and furnish surety bonds as the prosecution feared she might flee the country.

Interestingly, the bench granted the bail on merit and not on the 'humanitarian grounds' as sought by the petitioner to see her hospitalised father and declared the allegations levelled against her by the prosecution 'a case of further inquiry'.

Justice Najafi read out operative paragraphs of the verdict in open court.

The bench rejected arguments of the petitioner with respect to double jeopardy, ruling that the impugned inquiry into the CSM never remained a subject matter in the Panama Papers case.

LHC asks PML-N leader to surrender her passport as prosecution fears she might flee country

Deciding a charge of abetment, aiding and conniving on the petitioner in acquiring assets allegedly beyond means, the bench observed that the analysis of Suspicious Transaction Report (STR) that led to the impugned inquiry reflected transfer of money from the account of the former prime minister to the CSM but the name of the petitioner (Ms Nawaz) did not figure anywhere.

These two important foundations did not prima-facie expose the name of the petitioner directly to suggest that she actively participated, connived, abetted or aided to acquire assets disproportionate to the known sources of income since no connection of the petitioner was established with the said foreign nationals in order to persuade them to invest in the CSM to attract the provisions of National Accountability Ordinance, 1999 and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Act, 2010, the court observed.

With respect to a huge amount transferred by UAE nationals as consideration for shares in the CSM, the bench observed that the absence of a direct mention of the petitioner in the report did not suggest that she actively participated, connived, abetted or aided to acquire assets beyond known sources of income.

No connection of the petitioner was established with the said foreign nationals in order to persuade them to invest in the mills to attract the provisions of National...