Toshakhana, LNG references: AC summons Gilani, Nawaz, Shahid, Zardari

ISLAMABAD: Accountability Court, Islamabad has summoned former prime ministers Yusuf Raza Gilani, Nawaz Sharif, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and former president Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday. Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Yusuf Raza Gilani and former president Asif Ali Zardari have been summoned in Toshakhana case. According to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif got cars from Yusuf Raza Gilani through illegal way. Zardari had paid only 15 percent of the total cost of the cars through fake accounts. He also received cars as a gift from Libya and the UAE as president and used them himself instead of depositing them in the treasury. NAB alleged that Abdul Ghani Majeed paid for the vehicles through fake accounts whereas Anwar Majeed made more than Rs20 million illegal transactions using Ansari Sugar Mills accounts. Nawaz Sharif was not holding any public office in 2008 but was given a vehicle without any justification. According to NAB, former leaders have been charged with corruption under sub-sections 2, 4, 7 and 12 of Section 9 (A) of the NAB Ordinance. According to Toshakhana (gift depository) gift from any country to head of the state remain the property of the government unless sold at an open auction. Rules allow officials to retain gifts with a market value of less than Rs10,000 without paying anything. Meanwhile, Accountability Court, Islamabad has also summoned former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in the LNG case. It is important to note that senior PML-N leader and former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has contracted the coronavirus after which he has been quarantined, while Nawaz Sharif is currently abroad to receive urgent medical treatment.