ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has cleared former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of any wrongdoing in the Toshakhana reference investigation. The bureau has submitted its findings to the Accountability Court (AC).
The NAB investigation concluded that Nawaz Sharif, the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N), did not use a fake account to purchase a vehicle from Toshakhana.
The report states that the vehicle was surrendered to Toshakhana in 1997 and was not under its ownership when Nawaz Sharif acquired it in 2008.
Furthermore, it has been highlighted that the accountability court has the authority to exonerate Nawaz Sharif in connection to the Toshakhana reference.
It’s worth noting that in January 2020, during a meeting chaired by the former NAB chairman Justice Retd Javed Iqbal, the executive board approved three references against former Prime Ministers Nawaz Sharif and Yousaf Raza Gillani, as well as ex-President Asif Ali Zardari, on various charges.
One of the references pertained to Anwar Majeed and Abdul Ghani Majeed for allegedly paying taxes on luxury vehicles imported via Toshakhana.
The reference claimed that instead of surrendering luxury vehicles received as gifts from the UAE and Libya to Toshakhana, the former president kept them and used fake bank accounts to pay their taxes.
Additionally, it was alleged that former Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani showed favoritism towards the president and Nawaz Sharif during his tenure by allowing the transfer of vehicles to Asif Zardari.
The Toshakhana issue gained significant attention in national politics after the Election Commission of Pakistan disqualified the PTI chief for providing false statements and declarations.
The judgment accused the former premier of engaging in corrupt practices, and criminal proceedings are set to commence against him for filing a false statement.
