Accountability Court Reserves Decision on Toshakhana Case Against Zardari and Nawaz Sharif

Islamabad’s Accountability Court has reserved its decision regarding the request to send the Toshakhana case, involving former Presidents Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif, back to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). The case, which pertains to luxury vehicles from Toshakhana, was heard in the court with representatives of both Zardari and Sharif present.

Farooq H. Naek, representing Zardari, argued that following recent amendments in the NAB laws, the court no longer holds jurisdiction over the case as it involves an amount less than PKR 500 million. Naek emphasized that the case, which involves around PKR 80.5 million, does not meet the threshold required for it to be handled by the court, and should therefore be returned to NAB.

The NAB prosecutor acknowledged the jurisdiction issue, stating that the merit of the case will not be discussed until the jurisdiction matter is settled. He suggested that Zardari’s case could be transferred to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and noted that Zardari’s checks had bounced in the past.

The prosecutor also highlighted that Nawaz Sharif and Zardari’s cases are separate and should be dealt with individually. He recommended that the court allow the reference against Nawaz Sharif to be returned to NAB while keeping the proceedings against Zardari on hold as long as he holds the position of President.