اردو
  • Court orders auction of Dar's assets, bank accounts

    Ishaq Dar File photo Ishaq Dar

    An accountability court on Tuesday ordered the auction of former finance minister Ishaq Dar's assets and bank accounts in Pakistan.

    Accountability court judge Muhammad Bashir accepted the National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) plea to auction Dar's assets in the country. A day earlier, Judge Bashir had reserved his verdict on the NAB plea.

    Announcing the verdict, the accountability court judge handed the Punjab government the authority to seize the former finance minister's assets and bank accounts and auction them.

    On September 27, NAB had filed the petition after the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader went to London for medical treatment and continues to abscond in corruption cases against him in the accountability court.

    Last week, NAB had submitted details of Dar's assets that have been seized before the accountability court.

    NAB special prosecutor Imran Shafiq informed that Dar owns three flats in Dubai, a house in Lahore's Gulberg, four plots in Islamabad and one luxury car.

    NAB also informed the court that the former finance minister is a shareholder in three companies based in Dubai, while his wife owns six cars in Pakistan. "Dar and his wife have also invested Rs3,453,000 in Hajveri Holdings Pvt Limited."

    The case

    The former finance minister is accused of possessing assets disproportionate to his declared sources of income.

    A reference against the former finance minister was filed by NAB in light of the Supreme Court's July 28 verdict in the Panama Papers case.

    Dar had earlier been declared a proclaimed offender by the accountability court due to his continuous absence from the proceedings.

    In November 2017, then-prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had accepted Dar’s request to be relieved of his duties as the finance minister.