ISLAMABAD – An accountability court in Islamabad on Monday recorded statements of four of the witnesses in a corruption reference against former finance minister Ishaq Dar.
As Judge Mohammad Bashir resumed hearing of the case filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against Dar for possessing assets beyond the known sources of income, four prosecution witnesses – deputy secretary Cabinet Division Wasif Hussain, banker Faisal Shahzad, deputy director commerce Qamar Zaman and National Assembly director Sherdil Khan appeared before the court to record their statements.
Sher Dil Khan during his statement informed the court about the political career of Dar and the different positions held by him since 1990s.
Faisal Shehzad provided bank account details, which were operated by the former minister, while other two witnesses also recorded their statements.
It is to mention here that the court had summoned five witness, however, the fifth witness Nadra director Qaboos Aziz has been summoned on next hearing to record statement.
The court has also sought implementation report regarding seizure of assets of Dar and his guarantor, Ahmed Ali Qudusi.
The former minister is in London for medical treatment and did not appear before the court despite several summons.
However, a NAB’s notification stated that Dar is suffering from no disease that cannot be treated in Pakistan.
NAB has also reportedly decided to approach the Interpol to issue a red warrant to arrest former finance minister.
At the last hearing, the court ordered the NAB to attach the properties of a guarantor of Dar after he failed to produce him before the court in a corruption case.
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/pakistan/accountability-court-orders-to-attach-properties-of-ishaq-dars-guarantor/
Proclaimed Offender
On Monday, 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.
