Three witnesses record statements in Ishaq Dar graft trial

ISLAMABAD: Three witnesses recorded their statements in the assets reference 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 to him was filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in light of the Supreme Court’s July 28 verdict in the Panama Papers case.

He departed for London in October last year for medical treatment, after which he did not attend any court proceedings.

The first statement during today’s hearing was recorded by Excise Department Lahore’s Mohammad Naeem. The second statement by Zafar Iqbal who presented records of Dar and his wife’s 15 bank accounts in court.

The third statement was recorded by the dismissed NADRA official Qabos Aziz who informed the court that he had provided NAB details of Dar’s family tree when he was earlier summoned by the court.

At the last hearing, three other witnesses had recorded their statements against Dar.

On Wednesday, an accountability court ordered partial restoration of the accounts of the Hajveri Trust, a charitable organisation founded by Dar. Following his indictment, Dar’s assets were seized by NAB in accordance with the law.

NAB REFERENCE:

In its reference against the former finance minister, NAB alleged that “the accused has acquired assets and pecuniary interests/resources in his own name and/or in the name of his dependents of an approximate amount of Rs831.678 million (approx)”.

The reference alleged that the assets were “disproportionate to his known sources of income for which he could not reasonably account for”.

The court has declared him a proclaimed offender over his perpetual absence from the trial proceedings and attached his movable and immovable properties.

In November 2017, the government withdrew the portfolio of finance minister of Dar.