ISLAMABAD: The Accountability Court on Wednesday sent back Toshakhana case against former president Asif Ali Zardari, two former premiers, Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani, Nawaz Sharif, and others to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in view of the amendments made by the coalition government to the NAB law.

The Accountability Court administrative judge Muhammad Bashir while announcing its judgment over Zardari and other accused plea in which they challenged the territorial jurisdiction of the Accountability Court under the National Accountability (Second Amendment) Act, 2022.

The NAB had filed the Toshakhana reference against former president Zardari, two former prime ministers, Nawaz and Gillani, and others for allegedly acquiring three vehicles including a BMW 750 Li model 2004, Toyota Lexus Jeep 472 model 2007 gifted by the embassy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and BMW 760 LI model 2008 gifted by embassy Libya and gifts from Toshakhana-an official treasury where gifts from foreign dignitaries or heads of state are deposited- in violation of rules and regulations.

According to the bureau, the evidence collected during the course of inquiry and investigation has established that the accused, Gilani in order to extend the illegal benefit to the accused, Zardari and Sharif, illegally allowed the retention of vehicles gifted to them by various foreign states and dignitaries, which at that time belonged to the Central Pool of Cars, Cabinet Division, relaxing the procedure of Toshakhana, illegally.

The accused, Zardari and Sharif, had retained the said vehicles against the nominal payment of 15 per cent of the total value of the vehicles. The accused, Zardari, made the payment for vehicles, and duties of these vehicles through the accused, Khawaja Anwer Majid and Khawaja Abdul Ghani Majid, from “fake” bank accounts.

The accused, Gilani, former prime minister and minister-in-charge of the Cabinet Division from 2008-2012 had “illegally” relaxed the procedure for the acceptance and disposal of gifts, issued by the government through the Cabinet Division OM no 9/8/2004 TK dated June 25, 2007. According to these rules, “gifted vehicles shall not be allowed to be purchased by the recipients and be given to the Central Pool of Cars of the Cabinet Division.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022