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Graft reference: NAB court orders bailable warrants for Dar, rejects exemption plea

By Web Desk
October 30, 2017

ISLAMABAD: An accountability court in Islamabad on Monday ordered bailable arrest warrants for Finance Minister Ishaq Dar for failing to appear before it during the eight hearing of a graft reference against him.

The court also rejected Dar's plea filed by his counsel, seeking exemption from appearing today.

Earlier as the NAB Judge Mohammad Bashir began proceedings, Dar’s counsel Khawaja Harris had prayed the court that his client be exempted from appearing in court today as he had traveled to London for a medical check up.

The counsel also submitted medical reports of Dar to the court, assuring his client would appear on Thursday.

He said that the court may continue recording statements of the witnesses.

The NAB’s lawyer opposing the exemption plea requested the court to order arrest warrants for the minister.

Later, the proceedings were adjourned until Nov 2. 

In the last hearing held on Oct 23, the NAB prosecution presented two new witnesses against the minister and also prayed the court to endorse the NAB chief's order of freezing Dar's assets.

The first witness, Abdul Rehman Gondal, branch manager of a private bank's parliament branch, completed his statement and was cross-examined by Dar's counsel Khawaja Haris.

The second witness, Masood Ghani, the operations manager in a private bank, gave his testimony regarding Dar's bank account.

The reference had been filed against the finance minister by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for owning assets beyond his known sources of income.