Nawaz declared absconder, Zardari, Gillani indicted in Tosha Khana case

[HAIDER]

By News Desk

ISLAMABAD: An accountability court on Wednesday declared former prime minister Nawaz Sharif as an absconder in the Tosha Khana vehicles’ reference over his continuous absence in hearings and indicted former president Asif Zardari and ex-prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani in the same case.

Accountability Court-III Judge Asghar Ali conducted the hearing on the Tosha Khana vehicles reference filed by the National Accountability Court (NAB) at the judicial complex here, where Zardari, Gillani and other co-accused appeared before the court. Sharif has been in the United Kingdom for medical treatment since November last year.

According to the NAB reference, Gillani had been accused of illegally allotting cars to Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif. Anwar Majeed and Abdul Ghani Majeed of the Omni Group were also nominated as accused in the reference.

The reference states that Zardari and Sharif allegedly obtained cars from the Tosha Khana by paying 15 per cent of the price of the cars. The bureau further alleged that Gillani facilitated Zardari and Sharif in this regard. The Tosha Khana is a depository which stores gifts given to Pakistani heads of states and premiers by other countries.

At the outset of hearing on Wednesday, the court declared Sharif as an absconder due to his constant absence from proceedings and issued non-bailable arrest warrants for him. While seeking details of property owned by the PML-N supremo, the court ordered the NAB to take measures for the arrest of accused staying abroad. The court indicted Zardari, Gillani and Omni Group’s head Anwar Majeed and his son Abdul Ghani Majeed in the case and read out the charges against them. The accused denied all charges.

Gillani said the prime minister was authorised to approve the summary and said the NAB had prepared a baseless reference pertaining to misuse of powers. As prime minister, he had not done anything against the rules, he pleaded. At this, the judge remarked that the case’s merits were not under discussion in the court yet. The court directed the NAB to produce its evidence and witnesses against the accused on September 24 and adjourned the hearing.

In a separate development, Sharif’s legal team submitted two different miscellaneous petitions in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) requesting it to review its previous orders for the former prime minister to surrender by September 10 (today). In his petitions, Sharif said he was under treatment abroad and it was not possible for him to appear before the court in such condition. Sharif’s lawyer, Khawaja Haris, also attached the medical reports of his client dated September 4.

The petitions requested the court that a representative of Sharif should be allowed to appear before the bench in appeals pertaining to NAB references in his absence. The health of the former prime minister was “not appropriate for appearance in court”. It also requested the court to review its previous orders for Nawaz Sharif to surrender and withdraw its summons to the accused. It further said that Sharif was suffering from hypertension, cardiac problems and other diseases and hence required proper medical treatment.

Nawaz declared absconder, Zardari, Gillani indicted in Tosha Khana case

By News DeskISLAMABAD: An accountability court on Wednesday declared former prime minister Nawaz Sharif as an absconder in the Tosha Khana vehicles’ reference over his continuous absence in...

www.thenews.com.pk

 

[Jango]

This law really needs to be changed.

Why do we even have a law where you can buy anything from the state repository which was given as a state gift?

And who all can buy?

Agr bechna hai hi, to have a public auction which is advertised publically, where anyone can come in and bid for the items, like how it is done for old government property such as cars or stationary or military vehicles.

 

[Hasan143]

AsSalam u Alaikum,

Kindly educate yourself and wake up people. Don't blindly follow elites(Imran, Generals, Shahbaz).

So much biased analysis but why nobody is talking about the reality. Or all of you are so biased and brainwashed by Imran and PTI media cell(PTI, Imran Khan, Fawad Chudhary, Imran Riaz Khan, Siddique Jan etc) that you do not want to talk about Imran Khan, the law breaker, the corrupt, the biggest Hypocrite. Atleast read the rules of "Tosha khana gift procedure 2018" in Imran's government before your biased analysis. Download the Policy of "Procedure for Acceptance and Disposal of Gifts 2018" from Cabinet official website. Link down below.
Procedure for Acceptance and Disposal of Gifts 2018

Now download(or you might have it already ) the Toshakhana record, "Details of Toshakhana Gifts from 2002 onwards till to date" from Cabinet official website. Link down below.
Details of Toshakhana Gifts from 2002 onwards till to date

Look at item no. 6 ii) in "Procedure for Acceptance and Disposal of Gifts 2018". Here is the excerpt. You can look for yourself.
(6) (ii) "Gifts valued above Rs.30,000/- may be allowed to be retained by the recipient on payment of 50% of the value exceeding the basic exemption of Rs.30,000/-. This exemption shall however not be available in case of antiques and gifts of "intrinsic historical value." All such gifts shall be properly catalogued and displayed at the prominent buildings owned by the Government. Different gift articles given by a single dignitary to a functionary at one occasion will be treated as single gift for the purpose of valuation."

Kindly note quoted words, "intrinsic historical value" item. What is an intrinsic historical value item? An item when copied(making duplicate copies of it), that copy cannot retain the value original item has, for example if you make a copy of Mona Lisa painting, that copy wouldn't reflect value of original painting. So Mona Lisa painting is of "intrinsic historical value". Or an item which is rare, unique, one of a kind or the only item. For example any rolex watch(let's say Rolex Day-Date line) is not rare. Rolex makes many Day-Date watches. Such an item is not "intrinsic historical value" item. But the Graff watch given by Crown Prince of Saudia, Muhammad bin Salman to Imran Khan is one of a kind. Only one watch was made on order. It has Khana Kaaba in it. It is rare and unique. The Whole set is rare and unique. It is made of gold and diamond. Thus the Graff watch and set is indeed "intrinsic historical value" item.
So when Imran Khan took Graff watch and the whole set, He broke the Tosha Khana law.

Imran Khan did 3 terrible things no one did in Tosha Khan.
1. He broke the law by taking "intrinsic historical value" item, the Graff set.
2. He took the set from Tosha Khana at meager price of Rs. 2m and sold it for Rs. 5m to make a profit of Rs. 3m. That is corruption. Imran already have admitted of selling the set for Rs. 5m. Or selling it for $2m if you take Dubai-based businessperson Umar Farooq disclosure to be true.
3. By selling a gift given by an important and prominent figure, Imran Khan disrespected the Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman. Its highly immoral, illicit and disrespectful to sell the gift for profit. Also intrinsic historical value item cannot be sold according to TK rules. Imran break the law second time by selling Graff set for profit. Corruption!

Also Imran Khan couldn't sell the Graff set according to Toshakhana rule. Kindly read Item (12). "Gifts, other than those in the nature of antiques or of intrinsic historical value, given to but not retained by the President, the Head of the Government and the Governors, will be sold in accordance with sub- para (10) above. The gifts in the nature of antiques or of intrinsic historical value shall be put on display in accordance with sub-para (8) above."
So Toshakhana and govt also can't sell the antique and the " intrinsic historical value" items. These items should be displayed at Govt buildings.

Zardari too broke the law by taking cars which one can't according to Toshakhana rules. Vehicles should be deposited to Central Pool of Cars of the Cabinet Division. Tosha khana rules, item (11). Imran Khan did deposit the Proton Car into Central Pool of Cars of the Cabinet Division. Nawaz Sharif did not retain the Mercedes car. How could he? He wasn't PM at that date 20-04-2008. Yousaf Raza Gillani was PM at the time. So Gillani took the Mercedes not Nawaz. That's another discrepancy in Toshakhana record.