An accountability court in Islamabad on Tuesday allowed National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to interrogate former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on the alleged illegal use of 20 bulletproof cars imported for a conference of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc).

The anti-corruption watchdog had filed an application in the court, seeking direct access to Sharif in Kot Lakhpat jail — where he is currently serving a seven-year sentence in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills case — so that he could be interrogated by NAB investigation officers.

Take a look: Use of official cars by Nawaz, coalition leaders questioned

The government had imported 34 bulletproof cars from Germany for guests of a Saarc meeting in 2016. According to NAB — which is investigating the case of misuse of government cars — 20 out of 34 bulletproof cars were added to the personal caravan of Nawaz Sharif in sheer violation of rules.

According to the bureau, the bulletproof cars were also being illegally used by family members of the former premier.

NAB has already interrogated former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, the then principal secretary to prime minister Fawad Hassan Fawad and former foreign secretary in this regard.