Islamabad(June 27, 2018): Hearing of assets beyond means case against former finance minister, Ishaq Dar on Wednesday has been adjourned by the accountability court till July 4.
Judge Muhammad Bashir hearing case against Dar and Sharif Family, which were filed on the directions of the Apex Court by the anti-graft body.
President, National Bank, Syed Ahmed, Directors of Hajveri Trust, Mansoor Raza and Naeem Mehmood appeared before the court.
Statement of the two witnesses of defense Ishtaiq Ali and Ghazali Aziz were, while Qazi Misbah carried out cross-examination.
The court adjourned the hearing of the case until July 4 by summoning more five witnesses.
NAB Decides To Bring Back Ishaq Dar Through Interpol:
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday decided to bring back former Finance Minister Ishaq Dar through Interpol over the pending corruption cases against him.
A case is underway against Dar for owing assets beyond his known source of income. Dar has been in London since last year, undergoing medical treatment.
NAB will be approaching relevant Interpol authorities by filing an application with documents to bring back Ishaq Dar.
According to sources, NAB will request accountability court to issue warrants of Ishaq Dar before approaching Interpol.
Accountability court has declared Dar as absconder and NAB will advertise in newspapers that Ishaq Dar is absconder.
NAB will ask the interior ministry to request Interpol for issuance of red warrants for Former finance Minister Ishaq Dar so that he could be brought back to face the corruption references in the accountability court.
Earlier on June 20, hearing of assets beyond means reference against former Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has been adjourned by the NAB Court Till June 27(today).
Qazi Misbah, the counsel of Naeem Mehmood and Mansoor Raza cross-examined defense’s witness, Ishtaiq Ali. The Witness said he had presented relevant record to the IO of NAB.
Earlier on June 13, Accountability Court, Court reserved the decision over the acquittal of Saeed Ahmed.
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On June 06, Muhammad Azeem was cross-examined by the defense counsel, Qazi Misbah, the record of transactions was presented by the witness in the court.
On the occasion, President of National Bank Saeed Ahmed Khan appealed to the court for grant him leave, as the doctor has advised him to take rest due to deteriorated health, the court accepted the plea later.
On May 30, Hearing of assets beyond means reference against former Finance Minister Ishaq Dar was adjourned until June 6.
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Qazi Misbah completed his cross-examination from the defense witness, Masood Al Ghani, who is associated with a private bank.
Ghani said in his statement that Rs. 25lacs were transferred from Ishaq Dar’s account of Bank Alfalah Gulberg Branch.
During the hearing, counsel of Saeed Ahmed appealed the court to adjourn the hearing, as he wants to go performing Umrah.
“How can you leave at this point, when the trial is underway” Judge Muhammad Bashir replied, already senior counsel of Saeed Ahmed, Hashmat Habib is not appearing before the court.
According to a local media report, NAB’s allegations contradict its own forensic report that states that forged signatures had been used to access the bank accounts.
The forensic examination of the documents was submitted to the NAB Headquarters in 2017 by the NAB Deputy Director Muhammad Naseem.
Earlier, NAB Special Prosecutor Imran Shafeeq stated that Dar and Ahmed were working together in Hajveri Modaraba Management (Pvt) Ltd Company and suggested that Ahmed, along with the other co-accused might have assisted and abetted the accused in mounting illegal assets. It further alleged that seven bank accounts were opened in the name of Saeed Ahmad in the years 1997, 1998 and 1999 which were closed in 1999, 2000 and 2002 respectively.
The prosecutor claimed that millions of rupees were transacted into the foreign currency accounts, which were operated from 1997 to 2006.
It needs to be observed that the alleged fake accounts were opened in 1997 and 1998, at least two years after his end of directorship when Saeed was living abroad and was having no say or influence in the company as the director. Also, the NAB’s allegations are in contradiction with its own forensic report that says that signatures of applicant do not tally and forged signatures were used to open these bank accounts.
The Case:
Dar, a close aide of Pakistan Muslim League-N chief Nawaz Sharif, is accused of possessing assets disproportionate to his declared sources of income.
NAB filed an interim reference against Dar in September last year in light of the Supreme Court’s July 28, 2017, verdict in the Panama Papers case.
The recently-filed supplementary reference is based on seven volumes and includes the account details of the accused persons, with transactions amounting to $4.06 million, according to NAB’s Special Prosecutor Imran Shafiq.
Dar was re-elected to the Senate of Pakistan earlier this year.
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