ISLAMABAD Oct 9 (TNS): The daughter of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif Maryam Nawaz and her husband Capt (retd) Muhammad Safdar appeared before an accountability court in Islamabad on Monday regarding the corruption references filed against them by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
Maryam Nawaz arrived at the court in tight security accompanied by senior PML-N leaders and ministers. Her husband, who was taken into custody by the top graft buster late on Sunday night, was also brought to the court.
During the hearing conducted by Justice Bashir, bails of Maryam Nawaz and Captain (r) Safdar were approved after lawyer Tariq Fazal Chaudhry submitted surety bonds of Rs5 million each in the court.
The court has rejected NAB’s request to confiscate Safdar’s passport and to issue his judicial remand, however, he has been directed not to leave the country without court’s permission. Copies of references have also been handed over to PML-N leader.
On October 2, the accountability court had issued non-bailable warrants for the arrest of the former premier’s sons, Hassan and Hussain, and son-in-law Safdar. The court issued bailable warrants for Maryam.
Judge Muhammad Bashir issued directives to arrest and present Maryam, Hassan, Hussain and Safdar before the court on the next date of hearing.
Deposed PM Sharif appeared before the court on October 2 but could not be indicted due to the absence of his family’s members facing the trial along with him.
“Despite all reservations regarding the revengeful accountability, we have presented ourselves before the court,” she said while speaking to the media in the court after her appearance. “Politicians should appear before the people because they are answerable to the people.” But those who have made a joke out of the Constitution and rule of justice and ousted their elected PM should also be held answerable, she added.
Maryam said that while her family is arrested on airport when they voluntarily appear before the courts, there are some absconders who are never arrested even when they evade courts and hold public gatherings. “We are not going to be discouraged by these arrests, this will soon end,” she said. “I know that this case against me at NAB has been made up only because I am Nawaz Sharif’s daughter. But we are still appearing before the courts despite this revengeful accountability.”
NAB officials also submitted in court a plea to declare Hasan and Hussain Nawaz proclaimed offenders as they failed to show up in court even today, despite issuance of non-bailable arrest warrants.
Around 1,000 police and Frontier Constabulary personnel have been deployed for securing the judicial complex where the hearing will take place.
State Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry, Health Minister Saira Afzal Tarar, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, CADD Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, IT Minister Anusha Rehman, Privatisation Minister Daniyal Aziz, Senator Asif Kirmani and other senior PML-N officials were present in and outside the court.
