Islamabad (February 14, 2018): The accountability court on Wednesday approved NAB plea to file an interim reference against former Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in assets beyond means case and adjourned the case hearing till February 23.
As per details, accountability court Judge Muhammad Bashir conducted the hearing of assets beyond means case aaginst Ishaq Dar after a break on Wednesday morning.
On the occasion, NAB prosecutor asked the court to allow them to file an interim reference against Ishaq Dar and said that the reference is being prepared by investigative officer Nadir Abbas.
The court accepted the plea and asked the prosecutor to record statement of the witnesses and the investigative officer in the interim reference on February 23.
Earlier, on Wednesday morning the accountability court postponed the hearing of assets beyond income sources case against Former Finance Minister Ishaq Dar due to absence of a witness till 11:30 am.
At the beginning, the judge asked the NAB prosecutor to present the witness in the case on which the court was informed that he was on the way and would took some time to reach the court.
The court ordered to adjourn the hearing till 11:30 am and also asked to present the investigative officer Nadir Abbas before the court.
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The former chief of the Joint Interrogation Team probing Panama papers Wajid Zia will appear again before the accountability court today.
Earlier on February 12, the former chief of the Joint Interrogation Team probing Panama papers Wajid Zia on Monday submitted volume one and nine of the JIT report and got his statement recorded before the accountability court hearing Finance Minister Ishaq Dar assets case on Monday.
Wajid Zia told the court that the Supreme Court ordered to form the JIT under him on May 5 after the FIA recommended his name to be included in the JIT.
He briefed the court that Dar’s 1991 wealth statement showed his assets at Rs9.1 million which rose to Rs831.6 million in the 2008-09 statement.
It is pertinent to mention here that The head of the Panama JIT Wajid Zia on Monday appeared before the accountability court hearing the case of Ishaq Dar’s assets beyond known sources of income.
Wajid Zia appeared before the court and started to record his statement in the case.
Earlier, the National Accountability Court on Monday began proceedings against Ishaq Dar in assets case, in which Panama JIT Chief Wajid Zia would also appear before the court.
According to details, the case proceedings begin at Islamabad accountability court on Monday with Judge Muhammad Bashir conducting the proceedings.
Soon after the proceedings began, Judge Muhammad Bashir asked as if Wajid Zia had arrived on which the NAB prosecutor informed that he had been summoned but yet not arrived.
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At it, the judge directed to record the statement of the investigating officer in the case. The prosecutor said that the statement of Wajid Zia be recorded today as it would be a rush hour tomorrow.
The judge said that the apex court has given its decision on time while the JIT had also investigated the issue with a time frame so it would not inappropriate to delay the proceedings in accountability court.The judge later postponed the proceeding to begin again at 11:30 am today.
Earlier on February 8, former head of the Panama case Joint Investigation Team (JIT), Federal Investigation Agency Additional Director Wajid Zia appeared before the accountability court conducting corruption proceedings against Senator Ishaq Dar.
The investigation officer of the case, Nadir Abbas, was also present in court to record his statement.
As Judge Mohammad Bashir began the proceedings, Zia informed the court that the JIT’s final report is not available with him as all the record was submitted to the Supreme Court.
In response, the judge observed that they will write to the apex court’s registrar once again to be provided the JIT report.
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 caseDar, following his indictment, has been a no-show in the proceedings after he departed for London in October last year seeking medical treatment.
At the last hearing on January 31, two officials of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan had recorded their statements after which the court had directed for the production of the prosecution’s next witnesses, Zia and Abbas.
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