Defence concludes cross-examining Wajid Zia in Dar case

Court summons IO on June 12 to record statement

ISLAMABAD: The defence has concluded the cross-examination of the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) main witness Wajid Zia, the head of the joint investigation team in the Panama Papers case, in the reference against former finance minister Ishaq Dar for having assets beyond means.

Islamabad’s accountability court judge Muhammad Bashir, who heard the case against the former minister, has summoned the investigation officer (IO) on June 12 to record his statement.

In the hearing, Wajid Zia admitted that the bank record presented in volume 8A of the JIT report was not based on original documents, however, he added that it had been verified by the relevant bank.

During the course of the cross-examination, NAB prosecutor Afzal Qureshi objected to the question pertaining to Ishaq Dar that was put to Zia. The NAB prosecutor maintained that the counsel was not representing Ishaq Dar but his accomplice.

“Only ask the question concerned with your client. You cannot make arguments relating to Ishaq Dar,” the NAB prosecutor argued.

After the completion of the arguments, the court in its order summoned the last witness of the reference, the investigation officer, to record his statement on June 12.

Earlier, Zia had testified before the court that Dar's assets had grown manifold from 1982-83 till 2008. He had stated that Dar’s assets grew Rs9.1 million in 1982-83 to declared assets worth Rs831.6 million in 2008.

Dar has been in London since October 2017 owing to what his counsel claims is "a medical issue". As the former minister has not appeared before the court since 2017 despite repeated notices, the accountability court has declared him a proclaimed offender and attached his bank accounts and other properties. It has also seized his moveable and immoveable assets.