Business Recorder
ISLAMABAD: A Special Judge (Central) on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of the six-year-old Toshakhana corruption case involving President Asif Ali Zardari, former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Yousaf Raza Gilani, along with several other accused, nearly 17 months after the case was transferred to the special court. The Special Judge Central, Humayun Dilwar, adjourned the hearing without proceedings after being informed that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had not presented the challan (Charge Sheet) before the court. During the hearing, the FIA prosecutor informed the court that the challan had not yet been submitted, and the court adjourned the hearing until September 10. In spite of the passage of 17 months, the case has not moved forward, with a total of 17 hearings, and the special judge central adjourned the case without hearing. The NAB had filed the Toshakhana reference on March 2, 2020 against Zardari, Sharif, Gilani, and others for allegedly acquiring three vehicles including BMW 750 Li model 2004, Toyota Lexus Jeep 472 model 2007 gifted by the Embassy of United Arab Emirates (UAE), and BMW 760 LI model 2008 gifted by embassy of Libya and gifts from Toshakhana – an official treasury where gifts from foreign dignitaries or heads of state are deposited- in violation of rules and regulations. It is pertinent to mention here that the accountability court, on May 11, 2024, had granted presidential immunity to President Asif Ali Zardari in Toshakhana references. The Accountability Court judgment says that the President sought immunity as per Article 248 (2) of the Constitution, following which no case can be registered or action taken against the petitioner. The written order further added that the prosecution did not object to the president’s plea; hence, it was approved, and the case proceedings were halted until the end of Zardari’s tenure as President. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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