Lahore | October 25, 2025
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on Friday approved the cancellation of a 2020 case against Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Rana Sanaullah Khan, and several party workers, which had accused them of attacking a police team outside the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) office.
The case was registered following an incident on August 11, 2020, when Ms Nawaz had arrived at the NAB office to appear in an inquiry related to a Raiwind land case. The FIR, lodged on the complaint of a NAB deputy director, alleged that Ms Nawaz’s supporters pelted police with stones, resulting in injuries and damage to official vehicles.
Lahore ATC okays cancellation of 2020 FIR against Maryam Nawaz over alleged attack on a police team outside NAB office where she had arrived to appear in a land inquiry.https://t.co/DoVuZ9wAIT
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) October 25, 2025
Earlier this week, the court had reserved its decision after hearing arguments on a report submitted by Chuhng police recommending that the case be dropped. The police report stated that the allegations of stone-pelting and violence could not be substantiated during the investigation and that no credible evidence was found against the accused.
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On Friday, the ATC judge accepted the police’s findings and formally approved the cancellation of the FIR.
The case had initially included several provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code, and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, was later added, elevating it to a terrorism-related offense. In total, 60 individuals, including Ms Nawaz and then–Punjab law minister Rana Sanaullah, were nominated in the case.
The cancellation marks a significant legal relief for Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, who faced multiple cases during her time in opposition. Legal observers say the ruling reflects a broader trend of reviewing politically motivated cases filed in previous years.
Neither the chief minister’s office nor NAB issued an immediate comment on the court’s decision.
