• Being president, Asif Zardari was not eligible to take cars from Toshakhana, says reference.
• The reference stated that Toshakhana was transferred to the Cabinet Division in 1970.
• In Toshakhana case ECP also sought details of PTI chairman Imran Khan’s bank accounts.

In a tit-for-tat move, PTI submitted a reference against the former president and co-chairman of PPP Asif Ali Zardari to the National Assembly, seeking disqualification for acquiring cars from Toshakhana, Geo News reported.

PTI stated in a reference that there were pieces of evidence that Zardari had deviated from the law as he had acquired three cars from Toshakhana when Yousuf Raza Gillani was prime minister.

“However, being president, Asif Zardari was not eligible to take cars from Toshakhana,” it said.

According to the report published in The News, the reference stated that Zardari served as President of Pakistan from 2008 to 2013, and during his tenure he retained gifted bullet-proof vehicles from Toshakhana after ex-prime minister Gilani illegally relaxed the Toshakhana rules. 

The reference stated that Toshakhana was transferred to the Cabinet Division in 1970, and the division first framed the Toshakhana procedures under the Government Conduct Rules 1964 and since then they have undergone a number of amendments.

It stated that upon the first amendment of the Toshakhana procedures on March 30, 1978, the-then chief executive initiated a summary wherein he proposed to restrict the retention of vehicles by the recipients of gifts.

The reference stated that the summary was approved by the-then chief executive on February 29, 2000, and the revised procedures were circulated by an ombudsman on March 10, 2000.

The reference quoted the Rule 9 of the Toshakhana Procedures, which stated, “All antique items and cars shall not be allowed to be purchased by the recipients…Cars shall be given to Central Pool of the Cars of the Cabinet Division.” 

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has also sought details of PTI chairman Imran Khan’s bank accounts from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) in connection with the Toshakhana reference.

The verdict in the Toshakhana case filed against former prime minister Imran Khan has already been reserved by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).