ISLAMABAD: An accountability court today (Wednesday) heard the reference of assets beyond income against former finance minister Ishaq Dar, ARY News reported.
Accountability judge Muhammad Bashir chaired proceedings of the case.
The court had recorded statements of two more witnesses in the reference on Jan 23. Only one of Dar’s three co-accused— Mansoor Rizvi—was present for the hearing. The National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) prosecutor raised objection over the absence of the two other co-accused, Naeem Mehmood and National Bank of Pakistan’s former president Saeed Ahmed.
During the hearing today, the court said another hearing would be conducted into acquittal of Saeed Ahmed. The National Accountability Bureau objected to acquittal of Ahmed, prompting court to fix another hearing on February 6.
Ahmed’s counsel said the prosecutor produced 33 witnesses but none of them testified against his client.
In one of the previous hearings, the Supreme court was told that British authorities had conditionally agreed to extradite Dar. Also, a federal law officer apprised the judges that the UK Interior Ministry had sent a questionnaire comprising 27 questions regarding the case. “We have given the questionnaire to the National Accountability Bureau.”
Displeased with slow progress on the case, the apex court remarked, “the government has not taken any practical steps to bring Dar back to Pakistan,” merely letters are being written to the UK authorities in this regard, it added.
The case background
Dar is currently absconding from several cases in Pakistan and has been declared a proclaimed offender by the courts. He is facing charges of accumulating assets beyond known sources of income.
In October last year, the accountability court allowed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to seize and confiscate his assets and other properties.
The anti-graft watchdog had stated that Dar owns three flats in Dubai, a house in Lahore’s Gulberg, four plots in Islamabad and one luxury car. He is also a shareholder in three companies based in Dubai, while his wife owns six cars in Pakistan.
A NAB prosecutor contended that the accused is obliged by law to contact within six months of the seizure of his assets of the properties would be sold.
