Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Wednesday got her passport from the Lahore High Court (LHC) deputy registrar’s office (judicial), which she had surrendered four years ago for securing bail in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills (CSM) reference.
Accompanied by her party leaders and lawyer Amjad Pervaiz, the PML-N vice president reached the judicial branch of the LHC to get her passport back.
The LHC deputy registrar office returned her passport in compliance with the court orders.
When asked whether she would fly to the UK to see her father former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz nodded in affirmative, saying: “May your words come true.”
On Monday, the Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered officials concerned to return the passport of Maryam.
A full bench of the LHC, headed by Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti, passed the order on a petition of Maryam seeking return of her passport.
The order came after the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) submitted its written reply in the previous hearing that it had no objection if the passport of the PML-N leader was returned to her.
Maryam won the second case consecutively in two weeks, as earlier she and her husband Captain (r) Muhammad Safdar Awan were set free in the Avenfield case.
In its two-page reply before the bench in the passport case, NAB said that the Supreme Court had already declared that a suspect in a criminal case could not be deprived of fundamental rights.
“There will be no objection from NAB if the passport of Maryam Nawaz is returned to her,” read the bureau’s reply before the court.
Maryam’s lawyer had argued that the main case against his client had been pending for the last couple of years and the reference in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case was yet to be filed before the relevant court.
Giving reference to the judgement of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), the counsel contended that NAB itself had said that the name of the accused could not be placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) at this stage. The lawyer also contended that Maryam Nawaz had surrendered her passport as a surety and guarantee of herself before the court.
He also submitted that on August 8, 2019, when Maryam Nawaz was visiting her father at the Central Jail Lahore, she was arrested in an inquiry initiated by NAB and was barred from completing her visit.
The petitioner’s lawyer stated that her physical custody was remanded to an investigating officer for 48 days after being sent to judicial lockup and later she was allowed post-arrest bail on merit by the LHC. The petitioner also informed the court that she had surrendered her passport and deposited the required amount, Rs70 million.
He contended that she was unable to exercise her fundamental rights for the last four years despite the absence of any charge sheet or trial
The lawyer submitted that the Avenfield case could have become a hindrance in the return of the passport, but it did not exist anymore, as the IHC had acquitted his client in the case.
To a court query, the lawyer submitted that the bench could amend the earlier bail orders.
At this stage, the chief justice addressed a deputy attorney general and questioned what the stance of the federal government was in the matter.
The deputy attorney general replied that the government did not have any objection over the return of the passport.
To another query, the NAB prosecutor submitted that after the NAB amendment ordinance, it was being reviewed whether the case could proceed or not. It is for the investigation wing to decide whether the case would proceed or be closed, he added. He submitted that the bureau did not have any objection over the return of the passport, while responding to a court query.
Subsequently, the bench allowed Maryam Nawaz’s application for return of the passport and ordered the deputy registrar (judicial) to return the passport.
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