ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People's Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has barred party spokesmen from discussing the matter related to resignation from assemblies publicly till the final decision by the party's central executive committee (CEC) meeting.
Former prime minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, while talking to the media after appearing before an accountability Court in Toshakhana case, said the PPP chairman had asked party leaders not to comment in talk shows, and in the media regarding resignations from assemblies till the CEC meeting.
He said the final decision regarding resignation from assemblies would be taken in the party's CEC.
However, he also said the PDM president and chief of his own faction of JUI, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryman Nawaz, and PPP chairman Bilawal, during their press conference categorically said they would strictly follow the decisions announced by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).
About Toshakhana case, he said the prosecution witness had produced photocopies without signature of the federal secretary, which had no validity because the secretary of the government was the principal accounting officer.
Earlier, he appeared before the accountability court III judge Syed Ashgar Ali in Toshakhana case, which the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed against him, former president Asif Ali Zardari, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and two others for allegedly acquiring vehicles and gifts from Toshakhana in violation of rules and regulations.
The court completed recording of the statement of second prosecution witness namely Muhammad Ahad, deputy secretary Cabinet Division, who produced various documents regarding the case before the court.
As the hearing began, the associate of Zardari and Abdul Ghani Majeed's counsel, filed separate applications before the court seeking one-day exemption to their clients from personal appearance before it, which the court approved.
However, the judge expressed annoyance when he was informed that neither Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani nor his counsel, were present in the courtroom.
The judge issued directives to contact the counsel of accused to appear before the court, otherwise, it will issue arrest warrant of the accused.
Later, both Gilani and the counsel appeared before the court.
NAB deputy prosecutor general Sardar Muzzafar Abbasi, prosecutor Irfan Bhola as well as defence counsels, Arshad Tabraiz, Shiraz Rajpal and Jamshaid Malik, appeared before the court.
The defence counsel raised objections over the documents produced by the witness, and told the court that some of the documents produced by the witness were photocopies and were inadmissible.
The documents produced by the witness include attested copy of rules for acceptance of gifts by the federal ministers, and drop copy of summary for the cabinet matter related to Toshakhana dated August 20, 1973 originated by the cabinet secretary of Cabinet Division.
The defence counsel, while objecting to the document, said that it did not bear any signature, and no person had attested it, and this was only a draft copy and could not be exhibited before this court.
When the witness produced an attested copy of office memorandum dated October 27, 1973, procedure for acceptance of gift and their proposal, the defence counsel raised objection, and said that the document was not original, but a photocopy which could not be exhibited.
At this, the judge said the document was more than 30 years old and it geneses could not be questioned at this stage, while the prosecution was examining its witness. Moreover, the admissibility of the documents should be decided at the final stage of the arguments.
The other documents produced by the witness included attested copy of office memorandum dated December 18, 2018 with subject procedure for the acceptance and disposal of gift, attested copy of summary for chief executive dated February 3, 2020 subject Toshakhana rules for acceptance and disposal of gifts, attested copy of approval of chief executive of Pakistan pertaining to Toshakhana rules acceptance and disposal of gifts, and attested copy of office memorandum dated March 10, 2000 with subject rules for acceptance and disposal of gifts by government servants.
The court after completing the statement of witness, Ahad, adjourned hearing of the case till Dec 16. The defence will cross examine the prosecution witness Zubair Siddiqui, an official of the Cabinet Division, during the next hearing.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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