Pakistan antigraft body denies home-made food for Maryam Nawaz

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has denied Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz, who is currently in its remand, to have home-made food.

A source told Dawn that the accountability watchdog on Friday had withdrawn the facility of allowing home-made food to Maryam on the order from the "top" (authorities).

"From now on she will have food prepared at the NAB headquarters at Thokar Niaz Beg," he said, adding that she would be given meal in prison as per jail manual.

The daughter of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has also criticised Prime Minister Imran Khan for not allowing her to eat home-made food. This week, the government also denied Maryam's cousin Hamza Shahbaz, who is also facing corruption charges in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail, the facility of home-made food.

"By denying home-made food to Maryam and Hamza in prison, selected Prime Minister Imran Khan has again proved that he is a small man," PML-N Information Secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb said.

Maryam and her cousin are in physical remand by NAB in Chaudhry Sugar Mills (CSM) case.

Maryam had appeared before the NAB on July 31 to record her statement in the CSM reference. The statement was regarding 'dubious' business transactions of the CSM of which she was one of the major shareholders.

On August 8, she was taken into custody by NAB from Kot Lakhpat Jail, where she had been visiting her imprisoned father.