ISLAMABAD: Three witnesses recorded their statements in the corruption case against former finance minister Senator Ishaq Dar on Monday.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Dar 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 underway 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 Mauza Bhattiyan Tehsil, to the NAB.
He said that the NAB notice summoned property records of Dar and his family, adding that he appeared before the bureau in August 2017 at its Lahore office.
Moreover, suspended National Database and Registration Authority (NARDA) official Syed Qaboos Aziz recorded half of his statement on Monday’s hearing and will continue at the next hearing.
At the previous hearing on January 18, Accountability Judge Mohammad Bashir had directed NAB prosecutor Imran Shafique to summon more prosecution witnesses at the next hearings.
Shafique had informed the court that statements of 10 witnesses have been recorded so far from a total of 28.
Moreover, the judge had 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 had directed the NAB prosecutor to submit its response to the plea at the next hearing.
Dar in the application contended that the trust runs an orphanage, where 93 orphans reside. It bears the expenses of their boarding, lodging, health and education, he had added.