ISLAMABAD: Former president and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Monday has decided to not appear before accountability court in Toshakhana reference.
According to details, the court has directed the PPP leader to visit the court at any cost and attend the hearing.
On the occasion, strict security arrangements were ensured to avoid any untoward incident as PPP activists thronged the court in large number.
The workers also exchanged harsh words with security personnel after they were not allowed to enter the court premises and stopped at Srinagar Highway.
Accountability court had issued non-bailable arrest warrants against former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and ex-president Asif Ali Zardari over continuous absence in the case.
The warrants were released on the request of NAB prosecutor.
The court had also issued advertisement of PML-N supremo and ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for declaring him as proclaimed offender.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif had challenged his summoning by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the Toshakhana reference in the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
The former prime minister requested the court to nullify the accountability court’s decision to advertise his summons in the case and continue his trial through a representative.
He argued that he is not a fugitive and has gone abroad for medical treatment after obtaining bail from court.
The PML-N supremo maintained in his petition that the NAB is targeting the opposition to silence its voice.
NAB prosecutor said that Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif got cars from ex-PM Yousaf Raza Gillani through illegal way.
Zardari had only paid 15 percent cost of the cars by using his fake accounts, however, Libya and United Arab Emirates (UAE) also gifted him cars when he was serving as president, he told.
NAB official alleged that Asif Ali Zardari used these cars for his personal work instead of submitting them to Toshakhana.
Nawaz Sharif got car without any application in 2008 when he was not holding any public office, the anti-corruption watchdog’s representative stated.
NAB had seized vehicles of Mian Nawaz Sharif and former president Asif Ali Zardari in Toshakhana case.
The anti-graft watchdog had also frozen the ownership of Asif Zardari’s three vehicles including two BMW and one Lexus car.
NAB also froze the ownership of one Mercedes owned by PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif.
