ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People's Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari landed in Islamabad from Karachi on Sunday as he is scheduled to appear before an accountability court (AC) today in Toshakhana case.

Flanked by senior PPP leaders including party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the elder Zardari arrived in the federal capital amidst tight security in connection with his appearance at the accountability court, and went to his residence in the posh sector of F-8.

On March 2, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed a new reference at an accountability court in Islamabad against former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Yousuf Raza Gilani and former president Asof Zardari in the fake accounts case.

According to the reference, Gilani, in order to extend illegal benefit to accused Zardari and Sharif, allowed the retention of vehicles gifted to them by different foreign states and dignitaries by relaxing procedures relating to submission of gifts in the Toshakhana.

Recently, the accountability court issued non-bailable warrants for Sharif over not attending the court's proceeding in the reference and had also initiated the process to declare him a proclaimed offender.

On Saturday, Sharif challenged his non-bailable arrest warrants in Islamabad High court (IHC) and requested the court to allow him join the Toshakhana case proceedings through his representative.

"Knowingly that the petitioner is not in Pakistan and at the time of filing reference and summoning the accused, the petitioner is out of the country for medical reasons after fulfilling all legal formalities, the respondents were misled by the investigation officer," Sharif's petition read.

The petition requested the IHC to declare the arrest warrants illegal and that Sharif be allowed to join the proceedings of accountability court through his pleader.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020