Non-bailable arrest warrants issued for Nawaz

An accountability court on Thursday issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in the Toshakhana reference, a private TV channel reported.

Nawaz, former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and former president Asif Ali Zardari had been summoned to attend a hearing related to the Toshakhana reference.

During the hearing, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Prosecutor Muzaffar Abbasi appealed to the court to issue a non-bailable arrest warrant for Nawaz, saying that since he was abroad, advertisements against the PML-N chief can be published in foreign newspapers. The prosecutor further informed the court that another co-accused in the case, Anwar Majeed, was incarcerated in Karachi’s Malir jail for his alleged involvement in other references.

The hearing was attended by Gilani and suspect Abdul Majid Ghani, while Zardari’s application exempting him from appearing before the court was accepted.

The court, while exempting Zardari from attending proceedings, ordered that another notice for appearance be sent to the former president.

According to NAB, Zardari and Nawaz received cars from former prime minister Gilani illegally. Zardari had paid only 15% of the total cost of the cars through fake accounts, according to NAB. He also received the cars as a gift from Libya and the UAE when he was president and used them for his personal use instead of depositing them in the treasury, alleged NAB.

The anti-graft body further alleged that Abdul Ghani Majeed paid for the vehicles through fake accounts whereas Anwar Majeed made more than Rs20 million through illegal transactions using the Ansari Sugar Mills accounts. According to reports, Nawaz was not holding any public office in 2008 but was given a vehicle without any justification. NAB says the leaders have been charged with corruption under sub-sections 2, 4, 7 and 12 of Section 9 (A) of the NAB Ordinance.