IHC dismisses Ishaq Dar's petitions challenging corruption proceedings
Finance minister wanted trial court proceedings suspended until his petition is decided upon
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) dismissed on Tuesday Finance Minister Ishaq Dar's petitions challenging his indictment and trial by the accountability court hearing a corruption reference against him.
During today's hearing, Justice Athar Minallah observed that the petitioner should take up any objections with the monitoring judge of the Supreme Court.
The judge also observed that the petitioner has not attached a copy of the charge-sheet, to which Dar's counsel responded that they have yet to be provided with a copy of the charge-sheet.
The corruption reference, pertaining to Dar's owning assets disproportionate to his known sources of income, was filed by the National Accountability Bureau in light of the Supreme Court's July 28 judgment in the Panama Papers case.
Dar, who submitted the petition on Monday, stated that he was indicted by the accountability court without giving him the mandated time and requested the court to suspend the indictment proceedings.
The finance minister had said as he should be given time to file his response on the case, the court should order the accountability court to suspend its trial proceedings until a decision on his petition.
Dar was indicted at the last hearing of the accountability court on September 27.
He has denied all charges and vowed to prove his innocence in court.
The National Accountability Bureau submitted a list of 28 witnesses to the court, which it will now begin to produce from the next hearing on October 4.