Two more NAB witnesses testify against Dar in corruption case

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday appeared before an accountability court in a corruption reference against him for having assets beyond his known sources of income.

This was his seventh appearance before the trial court hearing the reference filed by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in compliance with the Supreme Court July 28 verdict in the Panama Papers.

Judge Muhammad Bashir recorded the statements of two NAB witnesses, including Masood ul Ghani of Habib Bank and Abdul Rehman Gondal of Allied Bank, who were also cross-examined by Dar’s counsel.

The prosecution team of the NAB had earlier submitted a list of 28 witnesses against Dar, out of which five witnesses have so far recorded their statements.

On October 18, the court had adjourned the case without conducting proceeding due to absence of Dar’s lead counsel Khawaja Harris Ahmed.

It had also rejected a request by the finance minister seeking exemption from personal appearance before the court.

Junior lawyer Kauseen Faisal Mufti filed an application, requesting the judge to grant the accused exemption from appearing before the court for he wants to concentrate on his ministerial duties.

According to the NAB reference, the accused had acquired assets and pecuniary interests/ resources in his name or in the name of his dependents of an approximate amount of Rs831.678 million as per the investigation conducted so far.

The assets are disproportionate to his known sources of income for which he could not reasonably account for.