Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s daughter Maryam Nawaz released on bail

Dubai: Maryam Nawaz, daughter of the ailing former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, has been released on bail on Monday.

Maryam’s release is seen as a major political development as firebrand hardline cleric Maulana Fazlur Rehman is leading Azadi (freedom) March in Islamabad demanding Prime Minister Imran Khan to step down.

Maryam, who is also vice-president of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was, however, barred from leaving the country.

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday granted bail to Maryam, who was arrested on August 8 in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills (CSM) case.

Surrender passport

The court has ordered Maryam to furnish surety bonds worth Rs10 million, and deposit an additional Rs70 million and surrender her passport to secure her release.

Maryam had approached the high court on September 30 seeking post-arrest bail.

After her father, Nawaz Sharif’s health deteriorated, she submitted a petition on October 24 seeking immediate bail on the basis of humanitarian reasons and fundamental rights, the Express Tribune reported.

A two-member bench of the high court, comprising Justice Ali Baqar Najafi and Justice Sardar Ahmad Naeem, announced the verdict which was reserved on October 31.

The legal representatives of Maryam and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) were present in the court.

The PML-N vice president had approached the high court on September 30 seeking post-arrest bail in the CSM case, in which she is suspected of money laundering.

Following the sudden deterioration in the health of her father, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, she then filed a miscellaneous petition on October 24 seeking immediate bail on the basis of fundamental rights and humanitarian reasons.

On October 29, the Islamabad High Court suspended her father’s sentence in the Al Azizia case for eight weeks.

The PML-N leader had been allowed to see her father once last month when she herself was admitted to the Services Hospital due to some health complaints.

The development came after a request was sent by the party to the Punjab Home Department asking for special permission to be granted.

Maryam's arrest

Maryam and her cousin Yousuf Abbas were arrested by NAB on August 8 in the CSM case. Later, on September 25, they were sent to jail on judicial remand by an accountability court in Lahore.

The accountability watchdog suspects Maryam of involvement in money laundering through investments of variable heavy amounts. It has alleged that she was involved in money laundering with the help of some foreigners during the period of 1992-93, when Nawaz was the prime minister.

Maryam was also convicted last year for abetment by an accountability court in the Avenfield corruption case and was sentenced to seven years in prison.

Her sentence was later suspended by the Islamabad High Court as it was hearing a review appeal.