Assets reference: Three more witnesses record statements against Dar

An accountability court issues notices to directors warehouse and operations NADRA

An accountability court in the capital on Monday resumed hearing a reference against former finance minister Ishaq Dar for amassing assets beyond his known sources of income.



According to Express News, Faisal Shehzad (a private bank representative), Ali Akbar Bhander (Assistant Commissioner Raiwind Tehsil) and Qaboos Aziz (former director operations National Database and Registration Authority), recorded their statements.

The court last week had given the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) a final deadline to submit all objections against Dar in the case.

The witnesses, in the court today, presented records and documents with regards to Tabassum Ishaq Dar’s – the wife of the former finance minister – assets following which the bench, headed by Judge Muhammad Bashir, later adjourned the hearing until January 26.

The court issued notices to directors warehouse and operations NADRA and advised the NAB to bring more witnesses in the next hearing to record their statements. So far, 13 out of 28 witnesses have recorded their statements before the court.

An accountability court last year declared the former finance minister a proclaimed offender in a NAB reference after he failed to appear before it despite repeated summons. A warrant was also issued for his arrest after he missed several court appearances on corruption charges that he had amassed wealth beyond his known sources of income.



Dar has denied all charges, as has former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who also faces corruption cases after being ousted by a court in July in what his supporters call a political vendetta engineered by opposition leaders and elements of the powerful military.