NAB seeks permission to sell off Dar’s assets

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) petitioned the Accountability Court to sell off the assets of former finance minister Ishaq Dar. The hearing into the NAB plea has been fixed for Friday (today).

The NAB on Thursday filed petition and sought its permission to sell off assets of former finance minister Ishaq, who was already declared as absconder by the accountability court.

The former finance minister has been in London since October 2017 for his medical treatment. An accountability court has already declared him as an absconder in the corruption reference.

NAB Special Prosecutor Imran Shafiq filed petition which sought the permission to sell all assets held by Dar in Pakistan as more than six months have passed but the accused (Ishaq Dar) has consciously and intentionally disappeared in order to avoid the process by this court.

The petition said that the accused pretended his ailment but he is taking active part in daily pursuits. He has failed to appear and justified his inability based on valid grounds.

The petition states that a proper order be issued through which a District Officer (Revenue) may be ordered to appoint a receiver of the rent or other revenues being collected from these properties and the received and collected by the receiver must be deposited in the government treasury or as an alternative the District Revenue Officer be ordered to make appropriate arrangement for the sale of these properties.

Petition further states that moveable property also be taken into possession and if some perishable commodity is attached the same be ordered to be sold immediately through the receiver for which appropriate order for the sale of moveable properties be also passed.

NAB further requested the court that another appropriate action which this learned court considers appropriate and necessary for the disposal/custody of the said properties of the proclaimed offender also be issued.

A reference against the former finance minister was filed by the NAB in light of the Supreme Court’s July 28 verdict in the Panama Papers case. Dar had earlier been declared a proclaimed offender by the accountability court due to his continuous absence from the proceedings.