ISLAMABAD: An accountability court of Islamabad on Thursday issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in the Toshakhana reference.

Nawaz Sharif, former PM Yousaf Raza Gillani and former president Asif Ali Zardari were summoned in the said case by the accountability court. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor blamed that Zardari and Nawaz were illegally given cars by Gillani as a prime minister. The ex-president had given 15 percent of the cost of the cars through fake bank accounts, he alleged.

When Zardari was president, he received cars as a gift from Libya and the United Arab Emirates which he did not deposit in the treasury. According to the rules, the Toshakhana or gift from any country received by the head of the state remains the property of the government unless sold at an open auction. Officials can retain gifts which have a market value of less than Rs10,000 without paying anything though.

NAB prosecutor Muzaffar Abbasi appealed to the court to issue a non-bailable arrest warrant for supreme leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and as he was abroad, advertisements against him could be published in foreign newspapers.

The NAB sought justification for gifting Nawaz Sharif a vehicle while he was not holding any public office in 2008.

The court on this occasion had given exemption to Zardari from court appearance, viewing his health condition.