-Defers date of summoning Marryam
-Cites COVID spread concerns behind move
From Abid Usman
LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday postponed the appearance of PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz before the watchdog on March 26 (today), citing the threat of Covid-19 and “public interest”.
NAB had summoned Maryam on Friday as part of two probes, a money laundering investigation in connection with the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case, and another related to 148 kanals of land that she allegedly purchased in Lahore illegally.
A day before her appearance that was expected to turn into a political power show for the PML-N, a high-level NAB meeting was held to review the situation and the recent instructions issued by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) in view of the ongoing third coronavirus wave in the country.
“The meeting was informed that the NCOC has placed a complete ban on the gathering of all sorts of crowds,” a press release issued by NAB Lahore said.
It noted that Maryam had been issued notices to appear before NAB investigation teams for a second time on March 26.
“However, considering the NCOC recommendations, and in view of public interest, NAB has taken the principled decision that accused Maryam Nawaz’s appearance in NAB Lahore today (Friday) has been postponed,” read the statement, adding that a new date for her appearance would be announced at “an appropriate time”.
The meeting also decided to direct the NAB administration to reverse all security measures that were being taken in preparation for the appearance, according to the handout.
Following the PML-N’s decision to gather maximum party leaders and workers outside the NAB provincial headquarters on March 26, the bureau had sought “foolproof security” from the government, asking it to deploy Rangers and police personnel. NAB had said its Lahore office might “come under attack” from political workers and others on the occasion of Maryam’s appearance. On the bureau’s request, NAB Punjab headquarters and surroundings had also been declared a red zone. NAB had summoned Maryam in August last year, but clashes between PML-N workers and police broke out outside its Lahore office upon her arrival to record a statement in the land acquisition case.
All PML-N lawmakers in the national and Punjab assemblies had been directed by the party leadership to accompany Maryam on her appearance.
The party’s Lahore chapter had also been asked to mobilise the maximum number of workers to make it a “big political power show”.
Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who is also the president of opposition alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), had also announced that workers of his party would reach the NAB office on Friday.
