ISLAMABAD: The Accountability Court hearing multi-billion rupees fake bank account case on Wednesday declared former prime minister Nawaz Sharif a "proclaimed offender", and framed charges against former president Asif Ali Zardari, former prime minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, and others, in Toshakhana reference.
The Accountability Court judge, Asghar Ali, while hearing the case, issued non-bailable arrest warrants and declared the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader a proclaimed offender for failing to appear before the court, despite being summoned multiple times.
The court also ordered the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to submit details of movable and immoveble properties of Sharif within seven days before it, in order to start process of seizing the accused's properties.
The court separated Sharif under section 512 of CrPC from the case, and declared him proclaimed offender.
The court also directed investigation officer (IO) to make concrete efforts including through Interpol for the arrest of the accused, Sharif, at the earliest.
Former president Zardari, while wearing a facemask and a face shield, appeared before the court along with his sister, Faryal Talpur and daughter, Aseefa Bhutto.
Former premier Gilani was also present in the courtroom during the hearing.
The court framed charges against Zardari, Gilani and others, and also handed over the charge sheet to their counsel for reading.
Both Zardari and Gilani came to the rostrum and pleaded not guilty to the charges framed against them.
The defence counsel told the court that it was the mandate of the prime minister to approve a summary.
The NAB, while misusing its power made a wrong reference, he said, adding that did charges against a prime minister be framed against constitution.
Gilani also told the court that he had never violated rules and regulations, while approving the summary.
I have approved the summaries, which were prepared as per law, he said, adding that the summary would have not been moved, if it was illegal or against rules and regulations. He said that the NAB had prepared the reference without considering rules of business.
On this, the judge remarked that at this time we are talking about the merit of the case, how the summary was moved and how it was approved.
Inform the court about this during the trial, the judge told Gilani.
The court, after framing charges and issuing the warrants, adjourned the hearing till September 24.
The court has also summoned three NAB witnesses including Waqarul Hasan Shah, Zubair Siddiqui, and Imran Zafar at the next hearing.
After the hearing, Zardari, when asked about the charges pressed on him, said that he always respected the courts.
I have been exonerated earlier and will be exonerated this time as well, he said.
To a question about the court declaring former prime minister Nawaz Sharif a proclaimed offender, Zardari said that the former prime minister was responsible for this, adding that this happens in such a situation.
The NAB had filed the Toshakhana reference against Zardari, Sharif, Gilani, and others, for allegedly acquiring vehicles and gifts from Toshakhana 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 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.
According to the NAB, accused, Zardari and Sharif, had retained the said vehicles against the nominal payment of 15 percent of 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.
Accused, Gilani, former prime minister and minister-in-charge 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, 2020
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