In a significant development on Monday, an accountability court in Lahore officially sanctioned the closure of the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) investigation into the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case, which implicated former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. The decision was delivered by Judge Rana Arif, who ruled in favor of NAB’s petition seeking to halt the ongoing probe against the prominent political figures.
The NAB prosecutor presented arguments emphasizing the absence of concrete evidence pointing to any corrupt practices by Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz. After carefully considering the submissions, the court granted final approval to discontinue the investigation, bringing an end to a high-profile inquiry that has spanned several years and attracted considerable public and political attention.
It is worth noting that the Chaudhry Sugar Mills money laundering investigation was initially triggered in January 2018, when the Financial Monitoring Unit (FMU) reported suspicious financial transactions amounting to billions of rupees under the Anti-Money Laundering Act. At that time, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was the ruling party, adding a layer of political sensitivity to the case. Following the FMU’s alert, NAB formally commenced its inquiry in October 2018.
The investigation uncovered that Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, along with other family members including Shahbaz Sharif and Abbas Sharif, held shares in Chaudhry Sugar Mills. Additionally, foreign investors from the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom were also listed as shareholders. The probe revealed a complex pattern of transactions between 2001 and 2017, where investments worth billions were made under the guise of issuing shares to foreign partners. However, these shares were later repeatedly transferred back to Nawaz Sharif and his family members without any payment to the original foreign shareholders, raising suspicions of money laundering.
Maryam Nawaz had previously been taken into NAB custody in August 2019 in connection with this case, highlighting the intensity and seriousness of the investigation. Meanwhile, in a related development earlier on Monday, NAB filed an appeal with the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) challenging a Lahore High Court (LHC) decision dated February 4, 2026, which pertained to Maryam Nawaz’s involvement in the case.
The anti-corruption watchdog contended that the LHC had overstepped its jurisdiction by making the closure of the inquiry conditional upon judicial approval, thereby interfering with the chairman’s authority. NAB argued that it possesses the legal right to withdraw investigations before filing a formal reference, without requiring court sanction. The bureau further asserted that the LHC misinterpreted Section 31B(1) of the NAB amendments, effectively amending the law by imposing a judicial approval requirement that does not exist in the legislation.
It is also important to highlight that NAB proceeded with the withdrawal of the inquiry on April 3, 2024, and subsequently, Maryam Nawaz requested the return of her Rs70 million surety bonds. The bureau criticized the court’s action for being taken without notifying the attorney general, raising questions about procedural propriety.
This case has been closely watched as it involves some of the most influential political figures in Pakistan, and its closure marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing struggle between political leadership and accountability institutions. The decision to end the probe could have far-reaching implications for the political landscape, especially considering the legal battles that continue to unfold in higher courts.
