Witnesses record statements against Ishaq Dar; hearing adjourned till Jan 26
January 22, 2018
ISLAMABAD: Three witnesses recorded their statements in the corruption case against former finance minister Senator Ishaq Dar today.
Dar, a close aide of Pakistan Muslim League-N chief Nawaz Sharif, is accused of possessing assets disproportionate to his declared sources of income. A reference against him was filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in light of the Supreme Court's July 28 verdict in the Panama Papers case.
Dar has been a no-show in the proceedings after he departed for London in October last year seeking medical treatment.
As the hearing went under way in the Accountability Court-I, prosecution witness Assistant Commissioner Shalimar (Lahore) Ali Akbar Bhinder informed the court that he presented the property record of the former finance minister's wife to the NAB last year.
Bhinder said that he has given the property details of a two kanal 19 marla property of the Dar family, situated in Mauzoo Bhattiyan Tehsil, to NAB.
He said that the NAB notice summoned property records of Dar and his family, adding that he appeared before the bureau on August 2017 at its Lahore office.
Moreover, suspended NARDA official Syed Qaboos Aziz recorded half of his statement today and will continue at the next hearing.
At the previous hearing on January 18, Accountability Judge Mohammad Bashir directed NAB prosecutor Imran Shafique to summon more and more prosecution witnesses at the next hearings owing to the delay in the case and the Supreme Court's six month deadline.
Shafique informed the court that statements of 10 witnesses have been recorded so far from a total of 28.
Moreover, the judge adjourned proceedings on Dar's application to reopen the seized bank accounts of his charitable organisation, operated by Hajvery Trust, until January 24. The court directed the NAB prosecutor to submits its response to the plea at the next hearing.
NAB files supplementary reference against Nawaz
Moreover, NAB filed in the accountability court today a supplementary reference against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and four others in the Avenfield properties reference.
NAB informed the court that the supplementary reference has fresh evidence against Nawaz and includes seven new prosecution witnesses, including two from the United Kingdom.
Nawaz and his family face a total of three references in the accountability court filed after the Panama Papers case verdict of the Supreme Court.
