Co-accused in Dar assets case escape indictment again

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – The three co-accused asset beyond income reference against former finance minister Ishaq Dar filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in line with the Supreme Court directive in the Panamagate case, again escaped indictment for the fourth time. The accountability court (AC) judge Muhammad Bashir was conducting hearing of asset beyond income reference against former finance minister Ishaq Dar filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in line with the Supreme Court directive in the Panamagate case. In today’s proceedings, Islamabad High Court (IHC) President Javaid Akbar appeared before the court on behalf of co-accused Mansoor Raza Rizvi and misbehaved with judge Muhammad Bashir while seeking adjournment of today’s proceedings. Following the verbal exchange Judge Muhammad Bashir asked Javaid Akbar to present his papers to which he threw his paper and left court along with his client. The accountability court judge then while issued non-bailabale arrest warrants for co-accused Mansoor Raza Rizvi. The court also issued a show-cause notice to Akbar. The court later adjourned the hearing till Thursday (April 5). Previously, 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 salary from his son’s off-shore company. The finance minister is one of Sharif’s closest political allies and Dar’s son has married Sharif’s daughter. Both men deny any wrongdoing. Dar had resigned from his post amid his legal woes and a worsening economic outlook for Pakistan, which is battling to stave off a balance of payments crisis due to dwindling foreign currency reserve and a widening current account deficit. He was initially lauded for steering Pakistan out of a balance of payments crisis in 2013 and returning the nuclear-armed country towards a higher growth trajectory. But over the past year, he has faced criticism for his refusal to allow the rupee to weaken to ease macroeconomic pressures. He has also been accused of eroding the central bank’s independence.