Failure of the investigation officer to present the record of Chaudhry Sugar Mills (CSM) reference filed against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif prompted an accountability court (AC) in Lahore on Thursday to summon the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) DG in person, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
AC judge Rana Arif summoned the NAB official during the hearing of a petition, seeking the closure of the reference.
Javed Arshad Bhatti Advocate, who represented Sharifs in the case, prayed to the court to order the closure of investigation against his clients in the CSM case.
It is pertinent to mention here that NAB Lahore had filed the petition before the accountability court in light of directives issued by the Lahore High Court (LHC).
The bureau requested the court to grant final approval for closing the investigation in accordance with the Lahore High Court’s February 4 orders.
On February 17, 2026, the LHC had directed NAB to approach the accountability court within one week to file a reference for formally closing the CSM case after NAB’s counsel informed the court that the investigation, upgraded in 2020, had concluded with no evidence of corruption found against the suspects.
The CSM is a money laundering and income beyond means of income case against the Sharif family, notably Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz and former PM Nawaz Sharif, initiated around 2018-2019. It focused on alleged “dubious” business transactions and investments made by the mill.
