News Desk |
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Friday, 25th January, submitted its response in an accountability court against the objections raised by former finance minister Ishaq Dar’s wife over the auction of their property in Lahore. The absconding former minister’s properties were ordered to be auctioned off by an accountability court in October 2018.
“Tabbasum Ishaq has no proof that her husband gifted her the house in Gulberg-III, Lahore,” NAB responded. According to the record, the accused had purchased the house in 1988, the reply read further, adding that Dar’s property was confiscated in compliance with the accountability court’s order.
In September 2017 a NAB court in Pakistan indicted Dar in the Panama Papers corruption case for having wealth beyond his known sources of income, but, despite criticism from the opposition parties, he continued to serve as finance minister.
It may be noted that Dar’s wife had challenged the auction of the house before the court, claiming that her husband had gifted it to her on Valentine’s Day 30 years ago.
In December 2018, Special Assistant to Prime Minister Shehzad Akbar had claimed that former Finance Minister Ishaq Dar would be arrested soon. The Special Assistant for Accountability had also said that the aide of convicted former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Mr. Ishaq Dar could not hide behind television appearances, GVS earlier reported.
The Special Assistant had made these statements while speaking to Dr. Moeed Pirzada on his show “Live with Moeed Pirzada” at GNN. He said that the case against Ishaq Dar is moving in steps and stages. On the first stage, the accountability team of Pakistan has sent a questionnaire of about 26 questions to the British government. “The prevailing investigation is leaving no room for Dar to escape,” Barrister Akbar said.
Read more: Why is Ishaq Dar in trouble with the FIA and NAB?
Special assistant to Prime minister on accountability also claimed that Ishaq Dar is not in a stage to move to any other country from England and that is why Dar is filing an application for asylum within the United Kingdom. “As he files asylum, the request of our extradition will come into effect and in the first phase, he will be arrested,” the Special Assistant briefed.
He also claimed that he is sticking to his promise of bringing back Ishaq Dar but for now, they are unable to extradite Ishaq Dar due to the lack of an extradition treaty with the United Kingdom.
Read more: Ishaq Dar indicted on Corruption Charges: Who will be Pakistan’s new…
In September 2017 a NAB court in Pakistan indicted Dar in the Panama Papers corruption case for having wealth beyond his known sources of income, but, despite criticism from the opposition parties, he continued to serve as finance minister. In October 2017 he “fell ill” on an official visit to Saudi Arabia and left for the UK, where he has been ever since. The absconding former minister has had all his assets in Pakistan seized over the course of his escapade in various graft cases.