ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday requested the Accountability Court to hear the Toshakhana case against former president Asif Ali Zardari, two former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif, and Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, on a daily basis.
NAB Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi argued before the Accountability Court-III judge, Syed Asghar Ali, while hearing the case that according to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999, the court would decide the NAB cases within 30 days.
If the lawyers of the accused were not available, then the court can summon the accused, he said.
Abbasi further told the court that to issue warrant of the accused and summon them to personally appear before it, so that they can witness recording to prosecution witness statement.
The defence counsel objected to the NAB’s request and told the court it would be difficult for them to pursue this case on a daily basis.
Upon the request for the daily hearing of the case, the judge said there were other cases as well due to which daily hearing was not possible but he would not give long adjournment in this particular case.
Earlier, the court recorded statements of three prosecution witness who produced various documents with respect to Toshakhana case.
Witness Abdur Rasheed, an accounts officer of the AGPR produced details of salary of former president Asif Ali Zardari before the court.
At the start of the hearing, Zardari and other accused’s counsel filed separate applications before the court, seeking one day exemption of their clients from personal appearance, which the court approved.
As per the record he produced before the court, former president Zardari’s monthly salary was Rs80,000.
The former president received a total of Rs5 million as salary including president’s allowance, according to the document.
He told the court that he appeared before the NAB investigation officer (IO) on February 11, 2019, in connection with Toshakhana case against Zardari and others.
The NAB Rawalpindi had requisitioned the record of salary of Zardari from the AGPR, he said, adding he was serving as accounts officer in the Accountant General of Pakistan Revenues (AGPR).
The court has completed statement of witness, Rasheed.
Another witness namely, Kaleem Ahmad Shehzad, while recording his statement told the court that he appeared before the NAB’s IO in investigation of Toshakhana case.
The purpose to appear before the IO was to produce oath sworn in and signed by former president Zardari and two former premiers, Sharif and Gillani.
He also produced original covering letter dated March 6, 2019, for provision of record of oath sworn in and signed by Zardari and the two former prime ministers.
The court adjourned hearing of the case till December 24, and directed the NAB to produce five more witnesses during the next hearing.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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