The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) summoned on Thursday PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz for questioning in an alleged illegal land transfer case.
She is required to turn up at the bureau’s Lahore office on March 26. According to the corruption watchdog, the Sharif family members allegedly illegally acquired 3,500 kanals of land in Raiwind in collusion with the district administration and revenue officials in 2013.
In 2015, then Lahore Development Authority (LDA) director general Ahad Cheema and the Lahore deputy commissioner altered the master plan, declaring hundreds of kanals of land green-land area, the NAB said.
Maryam has been asked to bring relevant land record along with her. On Wednesday, the national graft buster summoned the PML-N vice president in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case.
Well-placed sources said she will be quizzed in light of the new evidence the bureau has received regarding the money laundering accusations against Maryam Nawaz.
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The corruption watchdog had summoned Maryam last year in August but cancelled her hearing after clash erupted between PML-N supporters and the police personnel outside the bureau’s Lahore office ahead of her arrival there.
Case against Maryam Nawaz: Background and facts
The NAB has also summoned former DC Lahore Noorul Amin Mengal in this regard. This case is against former PM Nawaz Sharif, his mother Shamim Begum, Maryam Nawaz and Shahbaz Sharif.
The NAB Lahore has asked Maryam to appear before the investigators on August 11 along with details of land acquired by her in Raiwind and Jati Umra. She has been asked to provide sources of funds from which the land was purchased. The NAB has asked Maryam to come with details if she has sold any piece of land along with details about the use of land whether it is being used for agriculture or any commercial activity. As per sources, this investigation is about 3,568 Kanals acquired by the Sharif family in 2013. The NAB will also investigate the former PM along with his mother Shamim Begum after they return to the country from the UK.
Maryam is accused of acquiring 180 Acres (1,440 Kanals) of what was allegedly supposed to be government land in Raiwind. The land transfer was done during DC Amin Mengal and former DG LDA Ahad Cheema’s tenure.
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A piece of land measuring over 3,568 Kanals was bought by the Sharif family in 2013. The largest part of the property, 1,936 Kanals, was transferred in the name of Nawaz’s mother Shamim Bibi. The land that was transferred to Maryam was 1,440 Kanals. A 96-Kanal plot each was also transferred to Nawaz and Shahbaz. The sources claimed most of the land was government land which the Sharif family illegally got transferred in their name at cheap rates. Moreover, only the LDA had the authority to deal with such matters but the Sharif family involved local government officials. The property was declared as green land to stop construction around the Sharif family’s Jati Umra mansions.