Former president and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has challenged the confiscation of three vehicles belonging to him in the Toshakhana case. On August 18, the accountability court in Islamabad had ordered to seize vehicles of former president Asif Ali Zardari and former premier Nawaz Sharif in the Toshakhana case.
The accountability court had frozen the ownership of Zardari’s three vehicles, including two BMWs and one Lexus car. In his plea, Asif Ali Zardari has pleaded the accountability court to stop the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) from confiscation of three of his vehicles by terming it an illegal action. The court has served notice to the NAB and sought a reply on the plea of the former president on September 24.
During the last hearing, accountability Judge Asghar Ali halted the process to declare former premier Nawaz Sharif a proclaimed offender over his perpetual absence from the court’s proceedings in the case until Aug 25 after he was informed that the PML-N supremo’s arrest warrants have been challenged in the IHC.
The accountability court also summoned Omni Group owner Anwar Majeed and his son Abdul Ghani Majeed, named in the case, to appear on next hearing for indictment and directed all accused to furnish a surety bond of Rs2 million each.
Previously, NAB prosecutor said that Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif got cars from Yousaf Raza Gillani through illegal means. Zardari had only paid 15 percent cost of the cars by using his fake accounts. However, Libya and United Arab Emirates (UAE) also gifted him cars when he was serving as president.
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NAB official alleged that Asif Ali Zardari used these cars for his personal work instead of submitting them to Toshakhana. Nawaz Sharif got a car without any application in 2008 when he was not holding any public office, the anti-corruption watchdog’s representative stated.
Three vehicles in Toshakhana case confiscated
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 percent of the total cost of the vehicles received as gifts through fake accounts.
Prior to the confiscation of three vehicles in Toshakhana, 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.
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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. The court had ordered to confiscate three vehicles in Toshakhana case.