The Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered on Monday to reutrn Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz’s passport. The orders came following a three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Lahore High Court Justice Ameer Bhatti, admitted the PML-N vice president's plea for hearing. Maryam’s lawyer Advocate Amjad Pervaiz sought the withdrawal of an earlier miscellaneous application filed on the matter. Read NAB tells LHC Maryam's passport not required The court dismissed the petition filed by the PML-N leader in 2019, directing her lawyer to proceed with the arguments on the new miscellaneous plea. Maryam’s counsel claimed that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has not concluded its probe against his client, even after four years. He went on to say that the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case was not filed, in spite of Maryam wanting for it to get registered in order to defend herself. “Delaying the reference is akin to misusing the law,” Advocate Pervaiz stated. Maryam’s counsel implored the court that his client had also deposited Rs.70 million, and surrendered her passport but neither the reference was filed nor she is being allowed to move freely. Deputy Attorney General’s arguments The chief justice asked the deputy attorney general to comment on the matter, to which he argued that the matter is in the court and the court can decide. Following that, Justice Bhatti asked the deputy attorney general about the progress of the application filed against Maryam’s bail in Supreme Court. He replied that he is unaware of that. The deputy general's response irked the chief justice who remarked, "Whenever there are rivals present, there is hue and cry but when your favourites come, you all become humble and calm". Hearing this, Advocate Pervez argued that the court has the jurisdiction and can modify the order to the extent of the passport. NAB’s arguments Justice Bhatti questioned NAB’s Deputy Prosecutor General Punjab Syed Waqar Hussain Naqvi regarding the case, to which he said that NAB’s investigation wing is probing whether or not this matter, under the NAB’s Amended Ordinance, will fall within the NAB’s jurisdiction. However, he did not oppose the return of the passport adding no investigation is pending. After hearing the detailed arguments and taking view of the federation and NAB, Justice Bhatti directed the Deputy Registrar (Judicial) to return the passport. The petition Last month, the PML-N leader had once again approached the high court for the return of her passport, which she had surrendered before the LHC deputy registrar after she had been granted post-arrest bail in the Chaudhary Sugar Mills Limited (CSML) case nearly four years ago. The bail was sought after surety bonds in the sum of Rs10 million each from two sureties were submitted with a trial court, and separately depositing Rs70 million with the deputy registrar. Through a fresh civil miscellaneous filed with her pending writ petition, Maryam contended that “as per record, the inquiry was initiated on November 14, 2018, but no reference has been filed against the petitioner as of today despite a lapse of about four years." The PML-N leader maintained that "the retention of the passport for an indefinite period is tantamount to be violative of her fundamental rights of treatment in accordance with the law, life, liberty, right of movement and equal protection of the law”. It added that as per the “settled principles of administration of criminal justice system as also fundamental rights due process and fair trial guaranteed, vide Article 10-A of the constitution, a presumption of innocence is imperative and even under trial [the] accused does not lose fundamental rights of treatment”. 'Passport returned' The PML-N leader later in a tweet stated that she had been returned her passport, after “it was confiscated three years ago in a case that has not been filed to date”. Read more Maryam petitions LHC for permission to fly abroad Referring to former premier Imran Khan - during whose tenure Maryam’s passport was confiscated - as a ‘nuisance’, the PML-N leader said that she was kept under “wrongful confinement” by NAB for three months, and in a death cell in Kot Lakhpat jail out of “fear of my rallies”. فتنہ کی ظلم اور انتقام پر مبنی سیاست کو مٹنا ہی تھا ایک دن کیونکہ یہ قدرت کا اصول ہے مگر یہ فارن ایجنٹ آج بھی جھوٹ بولنے اور جعل سازی سے باز نہیں آیا۔ مکافاتِ عمل اور اس کا عبرت ناک انجام اس کے تعاقب میں ہے انشاءاللّہ۔ https://t.co/1CK3x6Tnv6 — Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) October 3, 2022 Taking a hit at the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Maryam furthered that “the nuisance’s politics based on cruelty and vengeance had to come to an end one day.” “However, this foreign agent has not stopped with his lies and scams even today. The consequences of his actions and his tragic end await him. God willing,” she added.
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