News Analysis |
The accountability court hearing the graft case against former finance minister Ishaq Dar recorded the statements of six National Accountability Bureau (NAB) witnesses on Monday. The case was filed against Ishaq Dar after the 28th July 2017 verdict which disqualified former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Dar is accused of amassing assets beyond known sources of income.
During Monday’s hearing, the court recorded the statements of NAB officials Shakeel Anjum Nagra, Iqbal Hasan and Umer Daraz Gondal. Later, Commissioner Inland Revenue Service (IRS) Ishtiaq Ahmed recorded his statement before the court and revealed the wealth records of Dar. According to the commissioner, in 1993, Dar’s total assets were worth 9.1 million rupees and these assets grew to 830 million rupees in 2009.
The analysts predict that if corruption against Ishaq Dar, who was the finance minister of PML-N government, is proved, it has the potential to destroy the credibility of the whole PML-N government.
Ahmed also showed Dar’s tax returns from 1993 to 2009, according to which Dar played Rs. 0.7 million in taxes in 1993 and Rs. 40 million in taxes in 2009. After all the witnesses recorder their statements, the NAB prosecutor requested the court to summon two more witnesses, Sidrah Mansoor and Salman Saeed, to record their statements in front of the court.
Read more: Six more witnesses record statement against Dar in graft case
The accountability court judge Muhammad Bashir asked NAB to present as many witnesses as they can in the coming two days. The court was adjourned till 30th January. Today’s proceeding of the accountability court suggests that the case is near to its conclusion since the judge has given a time of two days to present all the remaining witnesses.
Ishaq Dar has been a no-show during the accountability court hearings. He has denied all the charges against him by NAB. Non-bailable arrest warrants were sent to Dar’s residence by NAB on 14th November 2017, and the court declared him a proclaimed offender on 11th December 2017 for not showing up for the hearings of the case.
Ishaq Dar is considered a senior member of the PML-N and a close aide of Nawaz Sharif. Political analysts believe that a verdict against Ishaq Dar in the graft case will reflect badly on Nawaz Sharif and PML-N,
Dar excused himself from the hearings by declaring that he has a heart disease but the court rejected the excuse and declared him an absconder. The former minister’s assets were also seized by NAB for failing to show up.
After the 28th July verdict that disqualified Nawaz Sharif as the PM, three corruption references were filed against Nawaz Sharif and one against Ishaq Dar. Dar’s case is near its conclusion and according to legal experts the situation doesn’t look very favorable for him. Media analysts are already equating Dar’s absence with his culpability.
Read more: NAB preparing to declare Dar “Proclaimed Offender”
Unlike Nawaz, who is facing his cases, Dar has chosen the easy way out of his imminent conviction according to the analysts. Ishaq Dar was the one who recorded his statement against the former premier Nawaz Sharif and his family in Hudaibiya Papers Mills that started in March 2000. He later dismissed his statement by declaring that he was forced to give it.
The court was adjourned till 30th January. Today’s proceeding of the accountability court suggests that the case is near to its conclusion since the judge has given a time of two days to present all the remaining witnesses.
Ishaq Dar is considered a senior member of the PML-N and a close aide of Nawaz Sharif. Political analysts believe that a verdict against Ishaq Dar in the graft case will reflect badly on Nawaz Sharif and PML-N, since Dar was a senior party member and the corruption reference was filed against him by the SC at the same time as Nawaz Sharif.
Read more: Ishaq Dar refuses to resign despite pressure from PM, cabinet
The analysts predict that if corruption against Ishaq Dar, who was the finance minister of PML-N government, is proved, it has the potential to destroy the credibility of the whole PML-N government.