Panama Papers: Court declares Pak finance minister Ishaq Dar ‘absconder’

Islamabad, December 11

An anti-corruption court here on Monday declared embattled Finance Minister Ishaq Dar an "absconder" after he repeatedly failed to appear before it in a graft case linking to the Panama Papers scandal.

The court also ordered Dar, currently seeking medical treatment in London, to submit surety bonds within three days and warned that if he fails to do so, then authorities would freeze his assets.

Dar, 67, was indicted in October in a graft case in which he is accused of making assets that were "disproportionate to his known sources of income".

The case was filed against him by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the light of the Supreme Court order of July 28 that disqualified Nawaz Sharif as prime minister in the Panama Papers scandal.

The NAB had registered three cases of corruption and money laundering against Sharif, his family members and one against Finance Minister Dar in the Islamabad Accountability Court, weeks after the Supreme Court order ousted the premier.

In its case against Dar, the NAB has alleged that the accused has acquired assets and pecuniary interests/resources in his own name and/or in the name of his dependants of an approximate amount of Rs 831.678 million.

Dar is in London since October and has been seeking treatment of an undefined heart complication at a Harley Street hospital.

The minister's counsel submitted Dar's new medical reports in the court and pleaded not to declare his client a proclaimed absconder.

NAB special prosecutor Imran Shafique opposed the plea saying that the reports presented before the court differ from each other.

Judge Mohammad Bashir, who had reserved the order last week, refused to accept Dar's new report and declared him as an "absconder".

The court then adjourned the hearing till December 14.

Dar was relieved of his duties last month after he requested leave for three months. — PTI