ISLAMABAD: The accountability court of Islamabad on Friday turned down an application filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) seeking permission to probe former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in connection with the Chaudhry Sugar Mills (CSM) case.

Accountability Judge Mohammad Bashir asked the NAB to file an application before a court of competent jurisdiction in Lahore where the watchdog’s regional directorate is investigating the matter.

Subsequently, the accountability judge returned the application to the prosecution, saying the accountability court of Islamabad lacked jurisdiction to entertain it.

NAB recently started an investigation into the CSM case and also recorded statement of Maryam Nawaz on July 31.

Judge says Islamabad accountability court lacks jurisdiction to hear the matter

When NAB summoned her, Maryam Nawaz responded that she would join the investigation not to show respect for NAB but to expose them.

She recorded her statement before an investigation team of NAB for 45 minutes regarding ‘dubious’ business transactions of the CSM of which she was one of the major shareholders.

After appearing before NAB on Wednesday, Maryam Nawaz tweeted: “Back from NAB. Told them the questions about family business have been asked & answered a zillion times & nothing found even by agenda-driven JIT. But since the aim is to use NAB as a tool to harass & victimise, the theatre of the absurd continues.”

NAB had also summoned Hassan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz; however, they did not join the investigation.

The members of the Sharif family are being investigated over a suspicion of being stakeholders in the CSM and on charges of money laundering.

The evidence against the owners of the CSM reportedly surfaced during the investigation against Shahbaz Sharif and his sons Hamza and Salman in money laundering and an income beyond means case.

NAB has allegedly traced numerous telegraphic transfers (TTs) worth millions of rupees by the Sharif family and the end beneficiaries allegedly included Maryam Nawaz and other owners of the CSM.

On Thursday, two nephews of Nawaz Sharif were offloaded from a Madina-bound Haj flight because they are also being investigated in the CSM case. Yousaf Abbas and Abdul Aziz Abbas, both sons of Nawaz Sharif’s late brother Abbas Sharif, were offloaded from the Haj flight.

Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2019