ISLAMABAD – The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Wednesday cleared former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of any wrongdoing in the Toshakhana reference investigation.
The NAB submitted its findings before an accountability court.
“Nawaz Sharif did not use a fraudulent account to purchase a vehicle from Toshakhana,” said the NAB in its findings report.
The anti-graft body made it clear that the vehicle had been surrendered to Toshakhana in 1997 and was not under its ownership when Nawaz Sharif acquired it in 2008.
The court had the power to also exonerate Nawaz Sharif in this matter.
In January 2020, during a meeting chaired by the then NAB chairman Justice Retd Javed Iqbal, three references were approved against former Prime Ministers Nawaz Sharif and Yousaf Raza Gillani, as well as ex-President Asif Ali Zardari.
An additional reference was filed against Anwar Majeed and Abdul Ghani Majeed for paying taxes on luxury vehicles imported through Toshakhana.
The allegations included the former president retaining luxury vehicles gifted by the UAE and Libya instead of surrendering them to Toshakhana and using fraudulent bank accounts to pay their taxes. It was also noted that former Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani showed favoritism towards both the president and Nawaz Sharif, allowing them to retain possession of the vehicles.
The Toshakhana issue was a significant point of contention in national politics, particularly after the Election Commission of Pakistan disqualified the PTI chief for making false statements and incorrect declarations.
The court verdict held that the former premier engaged in corrupt practices, leading to criminal proceedings against him for filing a false statement.
