NAB court acquits Dar in assets case

ISLAMABAD: Accountability Court Islamabad Judge Muhammad Bashir has acquitted former Finance minister Ishaq Dar in an assets beyond means reference on Monday. The court announced the judgment reserved earlier as the NAB prosecutor also agreed to the acquittal. “No evidence of corruption was found against Ishaq Dar,” the court said.

NAB Prosecutor Afzal Qureshi at the previous hearing had told the court that there was no evidence of corrupt practice against Dar in the case. “Reply in writing if you have no objection to acquittal of Ishaq Dar and other accused,” the judge had said. “We have given our arguments on merit and the court can announce its decision,” the NAB lawyer said. Dar’s counsel Qazi Misbahul Hassan and Afzal Qureshi had concluded their arguments at the previous hearing.

The court had resumed hearing of the reference against Dar in light of the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s decision against amendments to the NAB law. The NAB had filed references against Ishaq Dar, Saeed Ahmed, Naeem Mahmood and Mansoor Raza Rizvi in 2017.