LAHORE(National Times)- The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday sought clarity from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) about the status of its plea in the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), challenging an LHC direction for placing a termination report before a trial court for the closure of Chaudhry Sugar Mills investigation against Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.

Headed by Chief Justice Aalia Neelum, a full bench was hearing a civil miscellaneous application by the chief minister, seeking the refund of Rs70 million deposited as a bail guarantee in the sugar mills case.

Justice Muhammad Jawad Zafar and Justice Abher Gul Khan were the other members of the bench.

During the hearing, the chief justice noted that the NAB had assailed the LHC Feb 4 order before the FCC.

A NAB prosecutor stated that the application might have been withdrawn from the FCC.

However, the chief justice directed the prosecutor to come up with a clear response about the status of the bureau’s plea before the FCC.

The bench adjourned the hearing till April 23.

Through Advocate Javed Arshad, the chief minister filed the application afresh after an accountability court on March 16 allowed a NAB plea for the closure of the sugar mills investigation against her.

The accountability court declared that Ms Nawaz may withdraw her surety bond worth Rs70m, furnished against the post-arrest bail granted to her in the case.

The NAB had filed the application following a Feb 4 direction of the LHC full bench to place a termination report before the accountability court for the closure of the investigation as required under the law.

The order was passed on a previous application by Ms Nawaz, seeking refund of the surety amount.

The LHC had, on Nov 4, 2019, released Maryam Nawaz, now Punjab chief minister, in the sugar mills case on bail, subject to surrendering her passport with the court.

She was also ordered to deposit Rs70m with the registrar judicial.

Later, an LHC full bench, on Oct 3, 2022, returned her passport after the NAB said it did not require the travel document anymore.

A NAB team had arrested Ms Nawaz on Aug 8, 2019, when she was present at the Kot Lakhpat jail on her weekly visit to her incarcerated father, Nawaz Sharif, along with her daughter and cousin Yousaf Abbas, the son of late Abbas Sharif.