The National Accountability Bureau on Thursday informed the Lahore accountability court that it has recorded PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif’s statement in the Toshakhana reference.
According to the case filed by NAB, then-prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, in order to extend illegal benefits to former PM Nawaz and president Asif Zardari, allegedly allowed the retention of vehicles gifted to them by different foreign states and dignitaries by relaxing procedures related to the submission of gifts in the Toshakhana.
The accused, “through dishonest and illegal means for their personal benefit and interest”, retained the vehicles in question “against a nominal payment of 15 per cent of the total value”, the reference stated.
Ahead of his return to Pakistan in October, an accountability court had suspended the perpetual arrest warrants issued in 2020 for the ex-premier Nawaz in the case. He was granted bail days later.
On Thursday, Nawaz’s counsel Qazi Misbah appeared before accountability judge Mohammad Bashir along with the PML-N supremo’s pleader Rana Irfan. NAB prosecutors Irfan Bhola and Sohail Arif were also present during the hearing.
At the outset of the hearing, Misbah informed the court that his client had joined the investigation and was provided with a questionnaire.
He recalled that the questionnaire for the reference was drafted in 2019, when Nawaz was “extremely ill”. The defence counsel further argued that his client had “made no demand” for a car and that the same was present on record as well.
The lawyer stated that Nawaz had provided his answers to the questionnaire. The NAB prosecutors also confirmed the same before the court. “There will be further proceedings, for which some time will be required,” he informed the judge.
