Maryam Nawaz Sharif arrested in Pakistan over corruption allegations

Maryam Nawaz, Pakistan’s former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s daughter, was arrested here on Thursday in a money laundering case while she was visiting her jailed father, an official said. On July 31, the 45-year-old Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam was questioned by the anti-corruption agency officials in connection with the alleged money laundering and income beyond means charges against her and her family.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested Maryam from the Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore where her father is serving a seven-year prison term since December 24, 2018 after he was convicted in one of the three corruption cases filed in the wake of the apex court’s July 28, 2017 order in Panama Papers case.

“We have arrested Maryam Nawaz in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills (CSM) case as she was facing money laundering and income beyond means charges,” a NAB official told PTI.

Maryam had been given a questionnaire based on six questions in the CSM case, which she was due to answer by 3pm (local time) on Thursday. However, the NAB officials reached the jail and detained her, the Dawn News reported.

According to the NAB officials, Maryam had excused herself from appearing before the accountability bureau on Thursday and had gone to meet Nawaz in the jail. She is now being taken to the NAB headquarters.

Her arrest came the day after she accused Prime Minister Imran Khan of “fall of Kashmir” and demanded registration of a treason case against him. Besides, she has been challenging the powerful military establishment for installing the Imran Khan government through a stolen mandate.

Maryam had appeared before NAB on July 31 to record her statement in the case. The statement was regarding “dubious” business transactions of the CSM case of which she was one of the major shareholders, the Dawn report said