Overview
- An accountability court in Lahore approved NAB’s request to terminate the Chaudhry Sugar Mills inquiry against Maryam Nawaz and Nawaz Sharif and allowed Maryam to reclaim her Rs70 million surety.
- Judge Rana Muhammad Arif issued the order after NAB said its probe had found no evidence of corruption and that legal amendments limited the bureau’s jurisdiction.
- NAB’s Executive Board had decided on April 3, 2024 to withdraw proceedings under Section 31B(1) after investigators concluded the matter did not involve corruption or public funds.
- The ruling follows a February 4 Lahore High Court directive requiring NAB to seek formal closure through the accountability court and to resolve Maryam’s surety within a month.
- NAB has appealed to the Federal Constitutional Court to set aside the LHC order, arguing the high court misread Section 31B(1), exceeded its jurisdiction, and acted without notice to the attorney general; the appeal is pending.