ISLAMABAD: The legal team of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar—led by senior jurist Shahid Hamid—has filed a list of objections to be filed with the accountability court of National Accountability Bureau (NAB), reflecting that the NAB reference against Dar is flawed and carry many anomalies, which could be blown out when the trial commences.
The objections to NAB reference are being filed with accountability court with regard to NAB’s order for freezing Dar’s properties. The objections, a copy of which is available with Pakistan Today, reflect ten glaring mistakes in NAB reference.
The objections say that NAB’s assets freezing order reflected the “incompetence” of NAB investigators and also that of Joint Investigation Team (JIT), who had made several mistakes in finalising the assets details.
According to Shahid Hamid, the three accounts (two with Al-Baraka Bank and one with Alfalah Bank) of M/s Hajveri Holdings (Pvt) Ltd have nominal balances of Rs232, Rs10.69 and Rs1990.15. It merits mentioning here that Dar is just one of the shareholders in M/s Hajveri Holdings. The accounts of the company are dormant since 2001 and 2011.
Moreover, Plot No.120, Garden Block, New Garden Town, Lahore was gifted by Mrs Dar to Citizens Foundation in 2000. The six acres of land in Mauza Milot, tehsil and zillah Islamabad were purchased by the Dars for about 40 lakhs in the year 2005 and gifted it to their sons in 2016. They are not the property of either Dar or his wife, the statement on behalf of finance minister added.
“There were never two plots of 2K each owned by Dar in the Parliamentarian’s Enclave Scheme. The money paid for one 2K plot was refunded to Dar in 2011. No such plot is owned by him since 2011,” the statement says.
According to objections filed by Shahid Hamid, the amount paid by Senator Dar for a plot in the Senate Cooperative Housing Society was refunded to him in January 2014. There is no plot in this scheme in Dar’s name.
Moreover, two Land Cruisers (Model 2004 & 1999) and one Toyota Corolla Car (Model 2004) were sold by Dar in 2016, 2004 and 2016, respectively. A Mercedes Benz (Model 1998) was gifted to his son Ali in the UK in 2003. None of these four vehicles belong to Dar anymore.
Another two vehicles owned by Dar in UAE were sold in 2008 and 2009, while the apartment in Palm Jumeirah Dubai was sold in 2007-08.
“The flat in Hajveri Villas was gifted to his two sons in 2011. The shares in Baraq Holdings were gifted/surrendered in 2008,” the statement added.
The objections to NAB reference added that all the sale/gift transactions were made through banking channels and/or registered legal instruments.
“Dar’s bank accounts with ABL Parliament House Branch and HBL Secretariat Branch have nominal balances and are used for credit of his pay and allowances. The substantial properties presently owned by Dar include Al-Falah Bank account, Gulberg Branch, Lahore from which he meets his living expenditures of Rs600,000 per month, his residence bearing #7-H, Gulberg-III, Lahore which he purchased in 1988,” the statement said.
According to Dar’s lawyer, one plot (still to be allocated) in Al-Falah Cooperative Housing Society, one Mercedes Benz car (2008 Model) and one Land Cruiser (2014 Model), 25,799 shares in the dormant Hajveri Holdings (Pvt) Ltd and 2,700 shares in Sui Northern Gas Pipelines are still with Dar.
“As he does not intend to sell/dispose of any of these properties, he is not objecting to their freezing provided he is allowed to draw Rs600,000 from his Alfalah Bank account to meet his living expenses. There must be many thousands (others) whose assets are far more than those of Dar,” the statement added.
According to Shahid Hamid, an accountability court does not have jurisdiction to freeze properties located abroad. However, NAB chairman can make such a request to foreign authorities under Mutual Assistance Arrangements. If such a request is made, it will be for the foreign authorities to decide the response as per their laws, he concluded.
