Record of Dar’s salary, perks produced before AC

ISLAMABAD: The accountability court on Monday recorded the statements of four prosecution witnesses against the defunct federal finance minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar.

The witnesses are Faisal Shehzad, an official of a private bank Sher Dil Khan, Director National Assembly Qamar Zaman, Director Ministry of Commerce, and Wasif Hussain, Deputy Secretary Cabinet Division.

Faisal Shehzad produced details of Mrs. Ishaq Dar's bank accounts, while the three other gave a detailed account of Dar's salary and other perks and privileges. In another development, the accountability court dismissed Qazi Misbah-ul-Hassan, advocate's, application to appear before the court on the behalf of Dar as counsel.

Meanwhile, Dar on Monday filed a civil miscellaneous (CM) application with the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking an amendment to his already pending petition challenging his non-bailable warrant for arrest and initiation of proclamation process. The new application challenges the December 11 accountability court order that declared him a proclaimed offender and directed attachment of his property under Section 87 of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

The petitioner said the orders declaring him a proclaimed offender and attachment of property were extra-legal and supra-constitutional. Dar also challenged recording of evidence under Section 512 CrPC in his absence. Dar's personal surety Ali Ahmed Qudoosi has also challenged the attachment of his Rs5 million moveable property.

In his petition, Qudoosi said the court on December 11 issued orders for attachment of his property in complete disregard of Section 514 of CrPC. He requested the court to suspend the accountability court order and restrain it from attaching his properties.

An IHC division bench, comprising Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, will hear Qudoosi's petition on Tuesday (today). Meanwhile, former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz will appear before the accountability court today.