Accountability court issues bailable warrant for Zardari.

Byline: Malik Asad

ISLAMABAD -- The Accountability Court-III of Islamabad on Tuesday issued a bailable arrest warrant for former president Asif Ali Zardari and initiated proceedings for proclamation of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif as an absconder in the Toshakhana case related to getting luxury vehicles gifted by foreign countries.

According to the reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau, former PM Yosuf Raza Gilani have been blamed for illegally allotted cars to Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Sharif.

Mr Gilani, Khawaja Anwar Majeed and Khawaja Abdul Ghani Majeed, the owners of the Omni Group, have also been nominated as accused in the reference.

NAB Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Khan Abbasi produced a report on the serving of summons to Mr Sharif before the court.

Initiates proceedings for proclamation of Sharif as absconder in Toshakhana case

He told the court that the summons had been served to Mr Sharif through the Pakistani High Commission in the United Kingdom.

The judge remarked that prima facie, Mr Sharif was deliberately avoiding joining the court's proceedings, therefore, he might be summoned through a proclamation and in case he still remained at large, the court might declare him a proclaimed offender.

Advocate Farooq H. Naek submitted an application seeking exemption of Mr Zardari from personal hearing. He requested the court to exempt the former president from personal attendance as because of his old age he was vulnerable to be infected with coronavirus.

The court, however, rejected the plea and issued a bailable warrant for Mr Zardari. Further proceeding...