PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif has moved to seek acquittal in the Toshakhana case, submitting a plea before an accountability court in Islamabad on Tuesday.
The plea was filed by Nawaz’s counsel, Rana Muhammad Arif Khan. The case implicates President Asif Ali Zardari and former Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani among others. Notably, President Zardari currently holds presidential immunity.
The prosecutor representing the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) informed the court that the application would be forwarded to NAB headquarters for consideration.
The court scheduled a hearing on Nawaz’s petition for May 23 and adjourned further proceedings till June 3.
Earlier this month, NAB cleared Nawaz Sharif in a reference linked to the procurement of a luxury vehicle from the Toshakhana, a repository for gifts.
According to NAB’s report, the Supreme Court had directed an investigation into an alleged fake account associated with Nawaz. However, it was found that the funds from this account were not utilised for purchasing the vehicle from Toshakhana.
The report clarified that the vehicle, gifted to Nawaz by Saudi Arabia, had been transferred to Toshakhana in 1997 and was under federal transport pool ownership by 2008 when Nawaz acquired it.
Highlighting the case’s details, the report emphasised that the vehicle’s purchase did not involve Toshakhana benefits, as it was no longer part of Toshakhana but belonged to the federal transport pool.