Maryam meets Nawaz after permission granted

Accountability court had earlier turned down her request

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Wednesday met her ailing father, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, at Services Hospital in Lahore.

The Punjab home department granted her permission to visit Nawaz on the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan -- a few hours after she told the media that an accountability court had turned down her request.

“I wanted to see for myself how Mian Sahib [Nawaz Sharif] was doing,” she told reporters. “But the judge did not grant me permission to meet my father for an hour.” The video of Maryam informing the media about the judge’s decision went viral on social media.

#MaryamNawaz in the court today pic.twitter.com/ukDR6s3CnL

— Asma Shirazi (@asmashirazi) October 23, 2019

Maryam was taken to Services Hospital from Kot Lakhpat Jail.

Earlier, Maryam and her cousin, Yousaf Abbas, were produced in the accountability court after their two-week remand extension ended in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case.

During the hearing, Maryam’s remand was also extended by three days.

During the proceedings, the investigating officer of the case requested an extension in the remand of Maryam and Yousaf, which the judge granted till October 25.

Earlier on late Monday night, the incarcerated former premier was shifted to Services Hospital due to a drop in his platelet count. However, PML-N leaders said that he was now in a stable condition.

Separately, the Lahore High Court ordered the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to submit its reply to a petition filed Maryam seeking ad-interim post-arrest bail in an alleged money laundering case.

Maryam’s counsel told the court that his client was being subjected to political victimization. Justice Najafi asked the NAB to respond to plea. The NAB prosecutor requested the court to grant him time to file the reply. The court directed NAB to submit the reply till October 30.

Earlier, Maryam’s counsel argued NAB had no authority to initiate inquiries against companies without the permission of the Security Exchange Commission Pakistan under SECP Act 1997.

Maryam in her petition contended that it was a matter of political history of Pakistan that the family of the petitioner had always been politically victimised at the hands of anti-democratic forces which had been using the conventional weapons of colonial rule of misuse of law through law enforcing agencies.

However, her family had stood the test of time. She informed the court that she felt pride in submitting that despite the ruthless misuse of law and the so-called accountability during both the tenures of a dictator and governments headed by others, no case of any personal gain at the expenses of the public exchequer could ever be sustained against the three-time premier.