Maryam Nawaz arrested by NAB

PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz was arrested by National Accountability Bureau ( NAB) on Thursday from Kot Lakhpat Jail where she was visiting her incarcerated father, former premier Nawaz Sharif.

According to an official press release issued by NAB, Maryam and her cousin Yousuf Abbas were arrested in connection to the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case and taken to NAB headquarters.

On the directives of the NAB chairman, a team of doctors will conduct a medical examination of both detainees.

According

to

the

press release, as per the law, Maryam and Abbas will be presented before an accountability court in Lahore for remand tomorrow.

Maryam was due to appear before NAB in the CSM reference. However, she had excused herself from appearing before the accountability bureau and had gone to meet Nawaz Sharif in jail instead.

PML-N sources confirmed that Maryam was taken into custody after she was shown the arrest warrants issued for her non-appearance before the bureau.

PML-N leaders and supporters, including Marriyum Aurangzeb and Ahsan Iqbal, protested the development outside the National Assembly.

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, in a statement, condemned Maryam's arrest and termed it as a "wrong step". "Maryam Nawaz's arrest in front of Nawaz Sharif and his grandchildren is extremely condemnable, regrettable and shameful," Shehbaz said.

"The government is blinded by political revenge and neither has the capacity nor the wisdom to understand the sensitivity of the situation. What message is being given to the public by the arrest of Maryam right before Eid?" questioned the PML-N chief.

Earlier, before the assembly session was adjourned due to PML-N's protest, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari condemned Maryam's arrest in a strongly-worded speech on the floor of the house. "The cruel tyrant Zia(ul) Haq was the only dictator who filed cases against the women of his political opponents' families," he said on the National Assembly floor.

"We are seeing this trend once again in this Naya Pakistan; you are so shameless [...] History will remember that Imran Khan, who talked about justice [...] (sanctioned) the arrest of Ms Maryam Nawaz without a conviction," he declared before walking out in protest.

PML-N leader Iqbal accused the government of "concealing" something by "trying to divert the nation's attention from Kashmir" issue by arresting Maryam.