Assets reference: court orders attachment of Dar’s property

Guarantor also faces action for failing to ensure attendance of accused

ISLAMABAD: An accountability court has issued warrants to attach former finance minister Ishaq Dar’s property over his failure to appear for his trial on charges of amassing assets disproportionate to his declared sources of income.

Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir issued the warrants for attachment of Dar’s movable and immovable property during the hearing on Thursday of a reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau, a NAB prosecutor confirmed. The move came days after the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader was declared a proclaimed offender.



The court also ordered attachment of the moveable property of Ahmed Ali Qadoosi for failing to present Dar and also not appearing himself despite having submitted surety bonds to ensure the attendance of the accused.

It recorded the statement of a witness, Muhammad Azeem, and issued summons for five others to appear on the next date of hearing.

The investigation officer submitted details of property belonging to Dar and requested the court to attach it, alleging that he was deliberately avoiding appearing before the court. NAB Prosecutor Imran Shafiq said the bureau would convey the orders to the relevant authorities for compliance.

Earlier, the court had asked the guarantor to explain why Dar was not appearing and present him on Thursday. The court order had revealed that Qadoosi had submitted the surety “out of benevolence and the accused is beyond his reach”. It said he had not come up with reasonable causes why penalty should not be paid by him, adding that he was not entitled to leniency. “He is directed to deposit the amount of Rs5 million as he bound himself through a bond furnished u/s 91 CrPC, within three days,” the December 11 order said.

The judge had at an earlier stage confirmed freezing of property, bank accounts and investment of Dar in Pakistan and abroad by NAB, except an account with the Accountant General of Pakistan Revenue.

NAB had listed the details of six bank accounts in Lahore and Islamabad, 13 assets within the country and seven assets and companies abroad. He has two Mercedes Benz, three Land Cruisers and a Toyota Corolla. One of the Land Cruisers is registered in the name of his wife.



He owns a two-kanal plot in the Parliament Enclave, another with Ayaz Builders, six-acre land in Mauza Milot in the capital, a plot in the Senate Cooperative Housing Society, three plots in Lahore’s Alfalah Housing Society, a house in Gulberg and a two-kanal and 19 marla plot in Mauza Bhubtian. The six-acre land in the capital is in Dar and his wife’s name, while the three plots in Alfalah Society are shared by the couple and their son Ali Mustafa Dar, the documents revealed.

They showed that Dar owns a flat at Emirates Hill and an apartment at Jumairah, Dubai. He also owns a Bentley Arnage and a Mercedes and has two investments in Baraq Holding and one in Dar Al Nahayan (Pvt) Ltd.

Dar was indicted on September 27 and he pleaded not guilty in the case filed in line with the Supreme Court’s July 28 judgment in the Panamagate case.