Toshakhana case against Nawaz, Zardari adjourned sans hearing

An accountability court in Islamabad adjourned on Thursday the hearing of references against former president Asif Ali Zardari and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in the Toshakhana case. 

Judge Muhammad Bashir of the anti-graft court did not hear the case today due to the ongoing hearing of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan at Rawalpindi Central Jail.

The hearing pertains to vehicles taken from the Toshakhana by the co-chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo, PPP leader Yousuf Raza Gilani and others.

It should be noted that the NAB could not file a supplementary reference against the accused.

The hearing of the case was adjourned till January 15.

Read NAB files graft reference against Imran, Bushra in Toshakhana case

Zardari and Nawaz have been accused by the country’s top anti-corruption body of illegally retaining expensive vehicles gifted to them by different foreign states and dignitaries instead of depositing them in the Toshakhana.

The NAB also maintained that Gilani, during his tenure as the prime minister, facilitated the PPP co-chairman in retaining the vehicles.

According to the anti-corruption body, Zardari and Nawaz retained the vehicles “against a nominal payment of 15% of their total value” through “dishonest and illegal means for their personal benefit and interest”.

The anti-graft court had indicted Zardari and Gillani in the Toshakhana case on September 9, 2020. The court had also declared Nawaz a proclaimed offender in the same matter.