ISLAMABAD Nov 02 (TNS): The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has achieved a major breakthrough in Finance Minister Ishaq Dar’s assets beyond means case as National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) President Saeed Ahmed has agreed to become approver against Dar.
During the hearing NAB submitted details of Dar’s bank accounts and assets to the court. NAB prosecutor also told the court that Ishaq Dar owns properties overseas but the documents of them are not available.
Saeed Ahmed alleged that Ishaq Dar’s company opened five foreign currency accounts in different banks of Lahore in his name with the help of stolen identity card and forged signatures.
NBP president said he was completely unaware of these accounts. Furthermore, it has been decided by the authorities to conduct forensic tests of account opening forms.
Ishaq Dar once again skipped the hearing of the graft reference on Thursday and his fresh medical report has been submitted in the accountability court judge Muhammad Bashir.
When the court enquired Dar’s whereabouts, the finance minister’s junior counsel Ayesha Hamid, who appeared in court instead of senior counsel Khawaja Haris, submitted a medical report saying that their client is undergoing medical treatment in London and he is unable to walk for more than four minutes.
The medical report submitted to the court says that Dar has to undergo another medical test today (Friday) and also to undergo angiography in London on November 3.
NAB prosecutor asked the court to reject the submitted certificate and issue non-bailable arrest warrants against Dar, but his request was turned down.
The NAB lawyers opposing granting exemption to Dar from appearance said that Dar should have sent the medical report to Foreign Office through Pakistan High Commission London.
During the proceedings, the NAB prosecutor asked that the court validate his claim to freeze Dar’s assets abroad.
Dar’s junior lawyer objected to the prosecutor’s claim, saying that NAB cannot freeze Dar’s assets abroad now that the case is in court.
Ayesha Hamid further claimed that of all the assets that the NAB prosecutor called upon the court to freeze were Dar’s Dubai properties, which she said are outside its jurisdiction since they are in a foreign country.
“Of the four bank accounts under Dar’s name, only one is operational and holds Rs 20 million while the other three hold Rs232, Rs10, Rs1,990, respectively,” Hamid told the court.
Hamid told the court that NAB had also moved to freeze assets which Dar had already sold.
“The NAB chairman has the power to freeze assets for 15 days,” the prosecutor told the court, responding to Hamid’s arguments.
He said that while Pakistan does not have a contract regarding freezing of citizen’s assets with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a Pakistani court could ask the UAE government to freeze assets over there.
“The court can make a request and a UAE court can rule on it,” the NAB prosecutor explained.
The court announced the judgment maintaining Dar’s bailable warrant and adjourned the hearing till November 08.
