- The court has also ordered to return the seized vehicles of Nawaz.
- Last month, the same court had suspended his arrest warrant.
- The assets of the PML-N supremo were confiscated in 2020.
ISLAMABAD: In a major relief, an accountability court in Islamabad on Friday ordered confiscation of properties, vehicles and bank accounts owned by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif in the Toshakhana reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau. Gave. NAB).
Last month, the same accountability court judge had suspended the arrest warrant of the three-time former prime minister – who returned to the country on October 21 after ending his four-year self-exile in London in the Toshakhana case following the NAB. The prosecutor did not raise any objection.
At the beginning of today’s hearing, accountability court judge Muhammad Bashir ordered authorities to return Nawaz’s seized properties and vehicles and freeze his accounts.
In 2020, an accountability court ordered the seizure of assets owned by the former prime minister in the Toshakhana vehicle reference after he was declared a fugitive by the Islamabad High Court.
The assets include 1,650 kanals of agricultural land in Lahore, a Mercedes, a Land Cruiser, two tractors, local and foreign bank accounts, a bungalow in Murree and 102 kanals of land in Sheikhupura.
Toshakhana reference
The NAB reference filed against Zardari and Nawaz accuses them of obtaining cars from Toshakhana (gift store) by paying 15% of the cost of the cars.
The anti-corruption body has alleged that when Zardari was president, he also received cars as gifts from Libya and the UAE and used them for his personal use instead of depositing them in the treasury.
Former Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has been accused of helping Zardari and Nawaz in this case. The anti-corruption body has accused Geelani of laxity in the process of acceptance and disposal of gifts.
Omni Group owners Khawaja Anwar Majeed and Khawaja Abdul Ghani Majeed have also been named as accused in the reference.
According to reports, Nawaz did not hold any public office in 2008 but was given a vehicle without any reason. NAB said the leaders have been charged with corruption under sub-sections 2, 4, 7 and 12 of Section 9(A) of the NAB Ordinance.
Gifts given to a Head of State from any country and deposited in the Toshakhana remain the property of the Government unless sold in an open auction. The rules allow officials to retain gifts with a market value of less than Rs 10,000 without making any payment.
