Court issues bailable arrest warrants for Nawaz Sharif in Toshakhana case

ISLAMABAD: An accountability court on Friday issued arrest warrants for former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in Toshakhana reference, ARY News reported.

The hearing was presided over by AC Judge Asghar Ali, in which former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani appeared before the court, while former president Asif Ali Zardari and ex prime minister Nawaz Sharif skipped the appearance.

At the outset of the hearing, the counsel of Asif Ali Zardari presented the medical reports of his client and requested to grant exemption from court appearance.

The plea was opposed by NAB’s Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar, but the court approved the plea and directed former president Asif Ali Zardari to appear on June 11 in the reference.

During the proceedings, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor has requested the court to issue arrest warrants against Nawaz Sharif, Asif Ali Zardari, Yousaf Raza Gillani and Omni Group Director Abdul Ghani Majeed.

Read more: NAB files another reference against Nawaz Sharif, Asif Zardari

But the court turned down the anti-graft watchdog body’s request and only ordered to issue arrest warrants for the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Later, the hearing of the case was adjourned till June 11.

Toshakhana reference

The NAB had filed a reference with the accountability court against the former heads of the state for not depositing luxury vehicles and valuable gifts received from the foreign leaders in the treasury.

NAB sources said that former president Asif Ali Zardari had only paid 15 per cent of the total cost of the vehicles received as gifts through fake accounts.

Zardari had received expensive cars as a gift from Libya and the UAE as president but did not deposit it in the Tosha Khana, the sources added.

Nawaz Sharif and Yousaf Raza Gillani had also received cars as a gift from different foreign leaders as prime ministers and used it themselves instead of depositing them in the treasury.

Owners of Omni Group, Khawaja Anwar Majeed and Khawaja Abdul Ghani Majeed were also nominated as accused in the reference.