ISLAMABAD - The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has exonerated PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif in the Toshakhana vehicle reference.
The decision was made after the NAB submitted a report in the Accountability Court (AC) on Wednesday to reply to a questionnaire sent to Nawaz Sharif regarding the Toshkahana cars / fake accounts reference and told the court to discharge Nawaz from the reference.
The reference was filed by NAB against President Asif Ali Zardari, Nawaz Sharif, Yousaf Raza Gillani, and others in 2020 in which they were accused of buying cars from the State Gifts Depository (Toshakhana) and making payments from fake bank accounts. According to the NAB report, the fake accounts scam was referred to NAB by the Supreme Court in 2019. A questionnaire was then sent to Nawaz Sharif while he was incarcerated in Kot Lakhpat Jail, Lahore. However, no reply was given by Nawaz Sharif at that time and later he was declared proclaimed offender and his properties were attached in the reference.
Upon his return to Pakistan last year, Nawaz Sharif appeared in court on 10-11-2023 on which his arrest warrants were cancelled and his properties were also detached.
According to the report, a car was gifted to Nawaz Sharif by Saudi Arabia while he was prime minister in 1997. He deposited the car in Toshakhana and in 2008 the same vehicle was offered to Nawaz Sharif by the then prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani. The vehicle was part of the Federal Transport Pool at that time when Nawaz had purchased it.
The NAB report explained that since Nawaz Sharif didn’t pay the said amount from a fake bank account, the vehicle was surrendered at the relevant time and when he purchased it in 2008, it was not part of Toshakhana, therefore, he may be discharged/ acquit from the reference.