Chaudhry Sugar Mills Case Closed

An accountability court in Lahore has approved the closure of the Pakistan===National Accountability Bureau's investigation into the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case against Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The case involved allegations of money laundering and possessing assets beyond known sources of income. The court ruled that the bureau's request to terminate the inquiry was in line with the law, especially following amendments to the NAB law that removed its jurisdiction. Maryam Nawaz is now eligible to withdraw her Rs70 million surety bond, which she had submitted for post-arrest bail. The Pakistan===Lahore High Court had previously directed the Pakistan===National Accountability Bureau to submit a termination report and had granted Maryam Nawaz bail in 2019, later returning her passport in 2022. The Pakistan===National Accountability Bureau had challenged Maryam Nawaz's bail in the Pakistan===Supreme Court of Pakistan, but the petition was withdrawn. The bureau has also appealed to the Germany===Federal Constitutional Court regarding the Pakistan===Lahore High Court's directive.