In a major victory for PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz, the Lahore High Court (LHC) gave the orders to return her withheld passport which she had surrendered for getting bail in a corruption reference in 2019.
According to the details, Maryam Nawaz had pleaded that she was in dire need to go abroad to attend to and inquire after her ailing father, requesting the court to direct the deputy registrar (judicial) to return her passport in the interest of justice.
During today’s hearing which was heard by a three-member bench of the LHC headed by Chief Justice, Muhammad Ameer Bhatti, the PML-N leader’s lawyer said that the conviction in the Avenfield case could have caused hindrance in the return of her passport, but that case has been closed. Earlier, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) acquitted Maryam Nawaz Sharif and her husband Captain (retd) Safdar in the Avenfield reference.
Read more: Maryam Nawaz gets bail to attend to Nawaz, at the cost of her passport
On the other hand, during today’s hearing, the National Accountability Bureau’s counsel said they don’t have an objection to returning the passport to Maryam Nawaz as they do not need more investigation from the PML-N stalwart. The court after hearing arguments from both sides, ordered to return Maryam Nawaz’s passport.
میرا پاسپورٹ مجھے واپس کر دیا گیا ہے الحمدُللّہ،مگر کیا آپ جانتے ہیں کہ پاسپورٹ اس کیس میں ۳ سال ضبط رہا جو کیس میرے خلاف کبھی بنا ہی نہیں؟ میرے جلسوں کے خوف سے فتنہ نے مجھے”تفتیش” کے لیے ۳ ماہ نیب میں حبسِ بےجاہ اور کوٹ لکھپت جیل میں ڈیتھ سیل میں رکھا مگر کیس آج تک فائل نہیں ہوا
— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) October 3, 2022
Pertinent to mention, PML-N’s latest legal victories are becoming unsettling for its political rival PTI who has often accused the incumbent government of giving itself an “NRO-2”.
اب اگلی پریس کانفرنس Avenfield Apartments سے ہو گی کہ “ہماری لندن تو کیا پاکستان میں بھی کوئ جائیداد نہیں”۔۔۔ pic.twitter.com/nTj7J3YgWW
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) October 3, 2022
Issue of Maryam Nawaz’s passport
Back in April, Maryam Nawaz filed a plea in the LHC for the return of her passport so that she could travel to Saudi Arabia for Umrah, and then to London.
Maryam Nawaz’s passport-return case had caused an issue as no less than four benches were formed to hear the petition due to judges recusing themselves one after the other.
The first bench comprised Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi and Justice Anwarul Haq Pannun. A second bench was formed comprising Justice Najafi and Justice Farooq Haider. Finally, LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti then constituted a bench comprising Justice Najafi and Justice Asjad Javed Ghural to hear the petition.
Later, Maryam Nawaz withdrew her petition.
Read more: Maryam Nawaz takes back plea for return of passport