NAB reference: Accountability court issues non-bailable arrest warrant for Ishaq Dar
NAB reference: Accountability court issues non-bailable arrest warrant for Ishaq Dar
News Desk
Pakistan

An anti-corruption court on Tuesday issued an arrest warrant for Finance Minister Ishaq Dar after he failed to turn up for several court hearings.

An anti-corruption court on Tuesday issued an arrest warrant for Finance Minister Ishaq Dar after he failed to turn up for several court hearings.

Dar, who has been charged with amassing wealth beyond his known sources of income, has for three weeks missed court hearings conducted by the anti-graft agency the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), prompting a judge to issue a non-bailable arrest warrant.

His counsel informed the court he will not be able to appear in front of the court for another six weeks owing to medical reasons, and a petition for a pleader who shall appear on his behalf has been filed.

Khawaja Haris, Dar’s counsel, will request the court to let Faisal Mufti advocate appear on behalf of Dar during his absence.

On October 8, a judge told Dar’s counsel that if he fails to appear, surety bonds worth Rs5 million shall be confiscated from him, and seized by the state. The court has also issued a show cause notice to his surety giver.

Earlier, the court had rejected NAB’s request to issue non-bailable arrest warrant for Dar, who has pleaded not guilty. The warrant issued for him earlier is till valid. Hence, he will face arrest upon his return to the country.

The charges against Dar followed an investigation into the finances of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who was ousted in July after the Supreme Court disqualified him for not declaring a small salary from his son’s off-shore company.

With additional input form agencies