LAHORE: A Lahore High Court full bench on Wednesday issued notices to the federal government and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on a petition of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Vice President Maryam Nawaz, seeking recovery of her passport, which she had surrendered to the court for bail in a case.

Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti headed the bench with Justice Ali Baqar Najafi and Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh. The full bench was constituted after several judges recused themselves from hearing the petition of Ms Nawaz for “personal reasons”.

As the bench resumed its hearing, Advocate Amjad Pervez appeared on behalf of the petitioner, saying his client had surrendered her passport, in addition to surety bonds, for bail in Chaudhry Sugar Mills inquiry initiated by the NAB.

He said the petitioner remained in the NAB custody for 48 days, but it failed to complete investigation or file a reference before the trial court despite a lapse of four years.

The counsel said the petitioner had willingly returned to the country (from UK) to serve the sentence in other NAB cases. He asked the court to return the passport to the petitioner so she could visit her ailing father in London.

The bench issued notices to the respondents for submission of replies by Sept 27.

In her petition, Ms Sharif contended that it was a known fact that her father, Nawaz Sharif, was allowed to go abroad on account of his critical health condition.

She claimed her father had not regained his health so far as he was still undergoing diagnosis process as per a medical report filed in the court after being duly attested by the Pakistan High Commission in London.

She submitted that in the absence of any charge sheet or trial, she had not been able to exercise her fundamental rights for about four years on account of surrendering her passport in compliance with the court order.

The PML-N leader pleaded that she was in a dire need to go abroad to attend to and inquire after her ailing father. She asked the court to direct the deputy registrar (judicial) to return her passport in the interest of justice.

Earlier, the NAB had opposed the petition seeking the return of Ms Sharif`s passport.

Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2022