ISLAMABAD: Islamabad Accountability Court Tuesday granted bail to former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supremo Nawaz Sharif in the Toshakhana case.
Nawaz Sharif is accused of allegedly obtaining luxury vehicles from the treasury (Toshakhana) by paying 15 per cent of the actual price. In 2020, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was declared ‘proclaimed offender’ in the Toshakhana reference by an accountability court and his permanent arrest warrant was also issued for his continued non-appearance.
The former three-time prime minister, whose arrest warrant was suspended on October 19, days before his arrival in Pakistan on Tuesday surrendered before the court of Judge Muhammad Bashir in the Toshakhana case.
The NAB was directed not to arrest the former prime minister until October 24 (today). The accountability court judge after marking the attendance of Nawaz Sharif allowed him to leave the court premises.
The former prime minister has been granted bail in the Toshakhana case against a surety bond of Rs1 million.
Earlier, NAB prosecutor in the court’s hearing didn’t oppose the petition against the arrest warrant of the former prime minister in Toshakhana reference in the accountability court conducted by Judge Mohammad Bashir.
Meanwhile, the caretaker Punjab government on Tuesday ‘suspended’ sentence awarded to former prime minister and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif in Al-Azizia reference.
Nawaz Sharif was convicted by accountability courts in Avenfield and Al-Azizia references. The accountability court had awarded a 10-year jail term with eight million Pounds fine to Nawaz Sharif in the Avenfield case and a 07-year sentence in Al-Azizia reference. The court also disqualified Sharif from holding public office for 10 years.
However, in 2019, his sentence in the Al-Azizia reference was suspended by the Lahore High Court (LHC) on medical grounds. He was then permitted to fly to London on medical grounds. Sources privy to the development said that the caretaker Punjab cabinet suspended the sentence of Nawaz Sharif under Criminal Procedural Code Section 401.
According to Section 401 of the Criminal Procedural Code, the government reserves the right to suspend the sentence of the convict. The former three-time premier landed in Pakistan on Saturday (October 21) after ending his self-exile of four years. He was accorded a warm welcome by the PML-N and addressed a huge public gathering at Minar-e-Pakistan to reveal his plan of steering Pakistan out of crises. – TLTP