Toshakhana case: Pakistan's anti-graft body ordered to record ex-PM Nawaz Sharif's statement by 30 Nov

An Islamabad court on Monday ordered Pakistan’s anti-graft body to record former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s statement by 30 November in the Toshakhana corruption case, according to a report.

The 73-year-old Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo returned to Pakistan on 21 October after about four years of self-imposed exile in London.

The case alleges that Nawaz, former president Asif Ali Zardari and ex-prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani received luxury vehicles and gifts from the Toshakhana — a government repository that stores gifts given to rulers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats and officials by heads of other governments, states, and foreign dignitaries.

According to Dawn report, Judge Muhammad Bashir of the accountability court in Islamabad heard the Toshakhana corruption case.

Sharif’s lawyer, Qazi Misbah, urged the court to issue directions to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on recording the three-time prime minister’s statements in the case.

“A supplementary reference needs to be filed … a reference was filed in the absence of Nawaz,” he was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper. “We want the NAB to record Nawaz’s position,” he added.

The NAB prosecutor sought time to go through the petition. However, Judge Bashir ordered the accountability bureau to record Sharif’s statements in the case by 30 November and adjourned the proceedings till then.

“What is the problem? Call Nawaz Sharif and record his statement,” Dawn quoted Judge Bashir as saying.

In his response, the prosecutor said only the investigating officer could record the statement. At that, Advocate Misbah asked the former for the questionnaire. “We will give the answers,” Nawaz’s lawyer added.

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The NAB prosecutor then said there were no objections to the PML-N supremo recording his statement before the IO.

The hearing was then adjourned till 30 November.

In June 2020, an accountability court issued non-bailable arrest warrants against Sharif when he was in London and, in September, declared him a proclaimed offender in the Toshakhana vehicles case.

Former president Asif Ali Zardari, 68, and ex-prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, 71, are also accused in the same case.

In the case, the NAB accused Sharif and Zardari of illegally retaining expensive vehicles gifted to them by various foreign countries and dignitaries instead of depositing them in the Toshakhana, the state depository.

According to the country’s top anti-corruption body, Zardari and Sharif got cars in 2008 by paying just 15 per cent of their price and Gilani, during his tenure as prime minister, facilitated the two in retaining the vehicles.

According to the rules, gifts given to officials should be deposited in the Toshakhana, established in 1974. Officials can, however, keep the gifts by paying a certain percentage of the price assessed by the Toshakhana evaluation committee.

Last month, ahead of Sharif’s homecoming after an exile of four years, the accountability court granted the former premier bail and also suspended the perpetual arrest warrants after he surrendered before the court.

The court confirmed his bail against surety bonds of Rs 1 million.

Earlier this month, the court ordered authorities to release all properties and assets seized from Sharif in 2020 during a hearing of the Toshakhana case.

The former premier is all set to lead the PML-N during the general elections, which are scheduled to be held on 8 February. Earlier this month, he directed his party leaders to begin their preparations for the national elections.

With inputs from agencies