Court gives Punjab govt authority to auction or seize Dar's assets

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – The Accountability Court on Tuesday accepted the National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) plea to auction former finance minister Ishaq Dar's assets and bank accounts in Pakistan. Announcing its verdict on the NAB plea, NAB court judge Muhammad Bashir gave authority to the Punjab government either auction or seizes the assets of absconding former finance minister Ishaq Dar in a case pertaining to possession of assets beyond his known sources of income. Judge Bashir has also allowed to the government for handling all bank account of Ishaq Dar. As per verdict, the government can withdraw money from all the bank accounts of Ishaq Dar. The verdict stated that the government can put ex-minister’s Lahore properties and his vehicles on auction. The bureau had earlier seized all properties of Dar that included a house in Lahore, three plots in Al-Falah Housing Society, six acres of land in Islamabad, two-kanal plot in Parliamentarians Enclave, one plot in the Senate Cooperative Housing Society, another plot of two kanals and nine marlas in Islamabad and six vehicles. On Monday, the NAB court reserved its verdict on the National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) plea to auction absconding Ishaq Dar's assets in Pakistan. On Friday, the court sought details of former finance minister Ishaq Dar’s assets. Judge Bashir asked NAB special prosecutor Imran Shafiq to submit details of Dar’s properties. A day earlier, the NAB has filed a petition seeking request for selling moveable assets of Dar. In his petition, the NAB prosecutor said that absconder had not appeared before court deliberately for any hearings. The prosecutor stated that some of his assets have been seized but some others are out of the court’s jurisdiction. He asked the court to issue an order to sell Dar’s moveable property. 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 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 the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in light of the Supreme Court’s July 28 verdict in the Panama Papers case.