The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday disposed of the petition filed by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz for the return of a surety bond worth Rs70 million in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case.
The court asked how the bond could be returned when the trial had not been completed as yet.
The court directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to approach an accountability court (AC) for closing the investigation against the chief minister in the case.
It gave to the NAB the deadline of one month for the purpose.
A three-member bench, headed by LHC Chief Justice (CJ) Justice Aalia Neelum, heard CM Maryam’s petition.
Other judges on the bench were Justice Abher Gul Khan and Justice Muhammad Jawad Zafar.
Javed Arshad Bhatti Advocate represented the chief minister in the case.
Deputy Prosecutor General NAB, who presented the report in the court, said that an investigation against CM Maryam had been closed.
The chief justice reminded him that at the last hearing, she had asked him whether the bureau could close the investigation on its own.
The deputy prosecutor general, on the occasion, read out two sections of the NAB ordinance, and said that an accountability court’s nod was necessary to close an investigation by the NAB.
Concurring with him, the chief justice said there existed several precedents of the apex court according to which an accountability court’s approval was required to bring to a probe by the NAB to an end.
Later, the court adjourned the case’s hearing until one month.
