Zardari indicted in Toshakhana reference, Sharif declared PO

Islamabad: Former president Asif Ali Zardari was indicted in the Toshakhana reference on Wednesday, while former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was declared a proclaimed offender.

An Islamabad accountability court heard the Toshakhana reference on Wednesday. Former Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani was also indicted.

Zardari and Gilani have denied the charges. The judge, Asghar Ali of court number three, ordered a copy of the indictment to be given to the suspects.

Taking to the rostrum, Gilani said these kinds of matters should go to the Public Accounts Committee, not NAB. The cabinet division had sent the summary to give the cars from the Toshakhana, he argued. “The summary landed on my desk after a whole process but the bureaucrats who sent it to me haven’t been declared suspects.

The judge said he will be able to say whatever he likes when the time to present his defence comes.

NAB argued in its investigation report that Nawaz Sharif was aware of the decision to declare him a proclaimed offender. Nawaz challenging his being declared a proclaimed offender is proof that he was aware of the charge, it said.

The judge said that now that the court has declared Nawaz a proclaimed offender, his case is going to be separated. The court sought a detailed list of his moveable and immovable assets in seven days. The process to seize his assets will be started soon.

A perpetual warrant of arrest was also issued for the PML-N founder. NAB has accused former prime minister Gilani of illegally allotted cars to Nawaz and Zardari. The accountability watchdog stated that Zardari and Nawaz obtained cars from the Toshakhana by paying only 15% of the price of the luxury vehicles.

It also alleged that Gillani had facilitated the allotment of the vehicles to Zardari and Nawaz by illegally relaxing the rules.

According to the reference, Zardari had received armoured vehicles as gift from the UAE and Libya between 2005 and 2008 but didn’t report the report the gifts or deposit them.

The Toshakhana is an official treasury where gifts from foreign dignitaries or heads of state are deposited. Two former prime ministers, Nawaz and Gilani, have also been nominated in the reference. Gilani, however, has been granted an exemption from appearing for the case hearings.