ISLAMABAD – An accountability court on Thursday summoned four prosecution witnesses to record their statements in a corruption case against former Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.
After Islamabad High Court rejected Dar’s plea against accountability court proceedings, Judge Mohammad Bashir resumed hearing of the case, which was filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against the former minister for possessing assets beyond known sources of income in light of the Panamagate verdict by the Supreme Court.
The former minister has been declared a proclaimed offender by the court as he failed to attend the hearings of the case. He is staying in London for his treatment.
As the hearing began, NAB Prosecutor Imran Shafiq informed the court that the high court had dismissed the plea of the accused.
In response, the court directed the prosecutor to summon more and more witnesses against Dar at the next hearings. Shafique informed the court that 10 out of 28 witnesses have recorded their statements.
The court also gave last chance to NAB for submitting its response on objections filed by Ishaq Dar.
The court adjourned the case until January 22.
Hajvery Trust Case
The NAB court also adjourned hearing on an appeal filed by the former minister, asking the court to re-open the bank accounts of his charitable organization, handled by Hajvery Trust, until Jan 24. The accounts have been seized by the NAB after he was declared proclaimed offender for not attending the court hearings.
The accountability court also directed NAB to submit its response on the Ishaq Dar’s plea at the next hearing.
IHC Orders
On Wednesday, an IHC division bench comprising Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb dismissed a petition filed by Ishaq Dar against the issuance of his proclamation and initiation of ex parte proceedings by the accountability court.
Earlier, the high court had stayed the accountability proceedings against the applicant till Jan 17. The counsel for Dar argued in the court that accountability court initiated ex parte proceedings against his client without verifying the medical reports.
The bench observed that the former minister has not been barred from travelling in the medical reports, adding that there were good health facilities available in Pakistan.
Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb observed that it seems that medical report was drafted on the wishes of the former minister.
Proclaimed Offender
The accountability court declared former finance minister Ishaq Dar a proclaimed offender in a corruption case regarding possession of assets beyond means.
Judge Mohammad Bashir had announced the decision after the former finance minister did not attend the court hearings continuously as he is in London for medical treatment. He has skipped the last six hearings of the case.
Indictment
On September 27, the former finance minister had been indicted for possessing assets beyond his known sources of income.
Dar had rejected the allegations levelled by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in its reference prepared following the orders of the Supreme Court in its July 28 verdict in Panamagate case.
NAB Reference
According to the NAB reference, the accused had acquired assets and pecuniary interests/resources in his name or in the name of his dependents of an approximate amount of Rs831.678 million as per the investigation conducted so far.
The assets are disproportionate to his known sources of income for which he could not reasonably account for, the reference said.
