NAB postpones Maryam Nawaz's March 26 hearing scheduled in Lahore

• NAB Lahore postpones Maryam Nawaz's hearing in view of NCOC's ban on large gatherings.
• The Pakistan Democratic Movement had pledged their support to the PML-N leader with "hundreds of thousands" told to accompany her.
• NAB says it has the authority to prosecute anyone hampering their investigation and hand them a 10-year imprisonment under Section 31 (a) of the NAO but has "demonstrated patience" thus far.
  

The National Accountability Bureau on Thursday announced it has postponed PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz's hearing which was due to take place tomorrow at the anti-corruption watchdog's Lahore office.

Maryam had been summoned by NAB on March 26 in connection with the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case, as well as the purchase of land in Raiwind.

According to a press release by NAB, a meeting was held today to discuss the hearing along with the recommendations provided by the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) in view of the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

The meeting was informed that NCOC has banned gatherings of all kinds.

The statement said that although notices were sent to Maryam asking her to appear before NAB's investigation team on March 26, in view of the NCOC's recommendations and for the general good of the public, it was decided that the hearing will be postponed.

The date for the hearing will be announced at a later time, the statement added.

In the meeting, it was also decided that the security arrangements made for NAB must be given back.

Read more: Maryam Nawaz mocked institutions, made provocative statements in public, alleges NAB

The announcement came as Pakistan's coronavirus positivity ratio shot past 10% and the death toll crossed 14,000.

The NCOC said 38,858 tests were carried out in the last 24 hours, out of which 3,946 returned positive, taking the national positivity ratio to 10.15%.

The total number of coronavirus cases in Pakistan now number 640,988, and the active cases stand at 37,985. The country has lost 14,028 souls to the virus thus far.

NAB says it has 'demonstrated patience'

The anti-corruption watchdog in its press release stated that when Maryam had last made an appearance the NAB Lahore office had "deliberately been assaulted and pelted with stones which is tantamount to hampering NAB's investigation".

NAB noted that a case was registered against the "culprits behind such unlawful acts" in the relevant police station.

It warned that under the National Accountability Ordinance's Section 31 (a), demonstrating a non-cooperative attitude in NAB's investigation, hampering the investigation or misleading the officers conducting the probe, can lead to a 10-year imprisonment.

"Despite these legal provisions, NAB has thus far demonstrated patience and forbearance," the press release said.

Security ramped up, 'hundreds of thousands' were set to gather

Following notices sent to Maryam for the hearing, the Pakistan Democratic Movement had pledged its support to the PML-N leader, with the chief of the alliance, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, declaring that supporters numbering in the "hundreds of thousands" will accompany her.

NAB had cited fears of a possible attack on its building the day the PML-N leader is expected to appear.

Elaborate security arrangements had been made in view of this, with the NAB Lahore office declared a "red zone" and Punjab Rangers and police directed to provide protection to the bureau staff.

Sources said at the time approval was granted for Punjab Rangers and police personnel to be deployed within the NAB office and surrounding areas on March 25 and 26.

Prime Minister Imran Khan, in a meeting with the government media team today, had vowed that no one will be allowed to take the law into their own hands.

Clashes outside NAB office last year

In August last year, when Maryam had been summoned by the anti-corruption watchdog to respond in a case of alleged illegal transfer of government land, violent clashes between PML-N workers and police took place.

Whereas Maryam branded the incident “state-sponsored terrorism” and said the government is "afraid of losing grip on power", NAB said it had never in its 20 years of existence ever experienced such “hooliganism” whereby its offices were vandalised.

What should have been a routine appearance before the anti-graft body, turned into a series of events that ran late into the evening, with the party as well as government officials engaged in an effort to seize the narrative.

Read more: After clashes outside NAB office, Maryam says govt scared of PML-N's rising popularity

While Maryam accused the police of firing tear gas shells and baton-charging party workers, and moreover of a deliberate attempt to cause her injury, the government said the violence was initiated by PML-N which has a “history” of “launching attacks against law enforcement”.

Matters were intensified after footage available with Geo News showed what appeared to be PML-N workers loading rocks in plastic bags onto a double cabin vehicle.

Later in the day, as many as two dozen of the party's workers were arrested, with the government vowing to hold all those responsible to account.

Additionally, the following day Maryam Nawaz, her husband Safdar Awan and 188 party workers were booked by police.

A case was registered at the Chohang police station against 300 unidentified persons — including the 188 PML-N workers — with charges including violence against police personnel.

According to the first information report registered, 13 policemen were injured in the clashes.