ISLAMABAD: The accountability court has adjourned hearing of the assets reference case against former finance minister Ishaq Dar till January 2, 2018.
Justice Muhammad Bashir, hearing the reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against the PML-N leader, adjourned the case hearing today after a NAB prosecutor informed of the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) stay order on the accountability court’s proceedings against Dar.
The IHC, after hearing Dar’s petitions against the accountability court’s order declaring him a proclaimed offender and issuance of non-bailable arrest warrants for him, barred the accountability court from proceedings against the former finance minister till January 17, 2018.
Justice Bashir asked the NAB prosecutor for a copy of the IHC stay order, to which the prosecutor replied that the team has requested the IHC to provide a copy of the stay order.
During the last hearing of the reference on Monday, four witnesses recorded their statements before the accountability court. These witnesses included private bank officer Faisal Shahzad, Director National Assembly Sher Dil Khan, Director Ministry Commerce Qamar Zaman and Deputy Secretary Cabinet Division Wasif Hussain.
Witness Faisal Shahzad also submitted details of bank accounts of Dar’s wife before the court.
The court directed NAB to submit its report pertaining to confiscation of properties of Dar and his guarantors and dismissed Dar’s request to appoint Qazi Misbah as his counsel.
Dar is accused of possessing assets disproportionate to his declared sources of income.
A reference against the former finance minister was filed by the NAB in light of the Supreme Court’s July 28 verdict in the Panama Papers case.
Dar had been earlier declared a proclaimed offender by the accountability court due to his continuous absence from the proceedings.
On November 23, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi accepted Dar’s request to be relieved of his duties as finance minister. He was relieved of his three roles, including his portfolio in the finance ministry, and was informed of the decision.
