Former president Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday has decided to appear before the accountability court in Toshakhana case.

An accountability court has summoned the former president to appear before it on August 17 (Monday).

According to sources, Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur will reach Islamabad from Karachi tomorrow as the People’s Party has decided to show its political muscle during hearing of the case.

The party leadership has directed its members of the Parliament and People’s Lawyers Forum to reach Islamabad on August 17.

The court has issued warrants for Zardari in Toshakhana accountability reference. Former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani has been granted exemption from appearance in hearing of the reference.

Meanwhile, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif yesterday challenged his summoning by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the Toshakhana reference in the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

The NAB had filed a reference with the accountability court against the former heads of the state and governments for not depositing luxury vehicles and valuable gifts received from the foreign leaders in the treasury.

Zardari had received expensive cars as a gift from Libya and the UAE as president but did not deposit it in the Tosha Khana, the sources added.

The reference states that Zardari and Sharif obtained cars from Toshakhana by paying 15 per cent of the price of the cars. The bureau further alleged that Gilani facilitated Zardari and Nawaz in this regard.