More NAB witnesses testify against Ishaq Dar in assets reference

ISLAMABAD: An accountability court on Friday resumed hearing of the assets reference filed against former finance minister Ishaq Dar by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Accountability Judge Muhammad Bashir recorded the statement of prosecution witnesses, Muhammad Naeem, Zafar Iqbal, Saeed Ahmed Khan and Qaboos Aziz, who were subsequently cross-examined by defense lawyer.

At the previous hearing, the court recorded the statements of witnesses Ali Akbar, former Assistant Commissioner of Raiwind, Niaz Subhani and Ubaid. They were subsequently cross-examined by the defense counsel.

In his statement, Akbar said the bureau had issued him a notice on August 17, last year, seeking details of the properties owned by the former finance minister and his family members.

Afterwards, he said, he presented the record of their properties to the investigating officer of the case.

He submitted details of the land owned by Dar and his family members between 1984 and 1988 to the court.

Earlier, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) vacated its stay order, permitting the accountability court to resume ex parte proceedings against Dar.

The court discarded his plea to suspend his declaration as proclaimed offender by the trial court in the graft reference.

According to the NAB reference, the accused had acquired assets and pecuniary interests/resources in his name or in the name of his dependents of an approximate amount of Rs831.678 million as per the investigation conducted so far.