Nawaz declared absconder, Zardari, Gillani indicted in Tosha Khana case

By News Desk

ISLAMABAD: An accountability court on Wednesday declared former prime minister Nawaz Sharif as an absconder in the Tosha Khana vehicles’ reference over his continuous absence in hearings and indicted former president Asif Zardari and ex-prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani in the same case.

Accountability Court-III Judge Asghar Ali conducted the hearing on the Tosha Khana vehicles reference filed by the National Accountability Court (NAB) at the judicial complex here, where Zardari, Gillani and other co-accused appeared before the court. Sharif has been in the United Kingdom for medical treatment since November last year.

According to the NAB reference, Gillani had been accused of illegally allotting cars to Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif. Anwar Majeed and Abdul Ghani Majeed of the Omni Group were also nominated as accused in the reference.

The reference states that Zardari and Sharif allegedly obtained cars from the Tosha Khana by paying 15 per cent of the price of the cars. The bureau further alleged that Gillani facilitated Zardari and Sharif in this regard. The Tosha Khana is a depository which stores gifts given to Pakistani heads of states and premiers by other countries.

At the outset of hearing on Wednesday, the court declared Sharif as an absconder due to his constant absence from proceedings and issued non-bailable arrest warrants for him. While seeking details of property owned by the PML-N supremo, the court ordered the NAB to take measures for the arrest of accused staying abroad. The court indicted Zardari, Gillani and Omni Group’s head Anwar Majeed and his son Abdul Ghani Majeed in the case and read out the charges against them. The accused denied all charges.

Gillani said the prime minister was authorised to approve the summary and said the NAB had prepared a baseless reference pertaining to misuse of powers. As prime minister, he had not done anything against the rules, he pleaded. At this, the judge remarked that the case’s merits were not under discussion in the court yet. The court directed the NAB to produce its evidence and witnesses against the accused on September 24 and adjourned the hearing.

In a separate development, Sharif’s legal team submitted two different miscellaneous petitions in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) requesting it to review its previous orders for the former prime minister to surrender by September 10 (today). In his petitions, Sharif said he was under treatment abroad and it was not possible for him to appear before the court in such condition. Sharif’s lawyer, Khawaja Haris, also attached the medical reports of his client dated September 4.

The petitions requested the court that a representative of Sharif should be allowed to appear before the bench in appeals pertaining to NAB references in his absence. The health of the former prime minister was “not appropriate for appearance in court”. It also requested the court to review its previous orders for Nawaz Sharif to surrender and withdraw its summons to the accused. It further said that Sharif was suffering from hypertension, cardiac problems and other diseases and hence required proper medical treatment.