Dar appears before accountability court

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday surrendered himself before the Accountability Court (AC) that was hearing an assets-beyond-means reference against him.

To AC-I Judge Muhammad Bashir’s question, Dar replied that he wanted to return to Pakistan despite being ill but the-then Imran Khan-led government cancelled his passport. He said all the Pakistani embassies abroad were issued directives not to issue a passport to him.

He had now been able to appear before the court after issuance of travel documents. The court observed that it would hear the main reference and Dar’s petition served against his arrest warrants together. It summoned Ishaq Dar again on October 7, while issuing a notice to NAB.

Speaking to the media after appearing before the court, Dar said the Imran-led government had destroyed the country’s economy. To a question on his past narrative, Dar said he does not believe in any deal.

The country has been pushed 30 years back, he said, advising Imran Khan and his party to let the country move on. Dar defended Miftah Ismail, saying filth accumulated over four years could not be cleared in four months. Dar said the case against him was fake, adding a TV channel ran stories against him in the UK, but then it had to pay him damages in millions that he gave away in charity.