ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) witnesses on Monday testified against former Finance Minister Ishaq Dar before an accountability court here and revealed that Dar’s assets were increased by 91 times from 1993 on wards till 2009.
Accountability Judge Muhammad Bashir heard the reference filed by the NAB in compliance with Supreme Court’s landmark July 28 verdict.
At the outset of the hearing, NAB officials Shakeel Anjum, Iqbal Hasan and Umar Draz Gondal documented their statements before the accountability judge.
Anjum informed the court that the anti-graft body had sought records from Supreme Court that were submitted by Panamagate Joint Investigation Team (JIT) with regard to Dar’s assets.
He said that NAB had sought these records in writing on August 10 and again on August 15, 2017, adding, the apex court then handed over three copies of JIT report’s volume X to the anti-graft body.
Another NAB official and prosecution witness, Iqbal Hasan, also recorded his statement before the court.
After his testimony, third witness Umar Draz Gondal recorded his statement before the judge and said he reached at Dar’s residence in Lahore’s Gulberg area to handover the NAB summon on investigation officer’s direction when a police constable informed him that the former finance minister was in Islamabad.
“The summon notification was returned to the investigation officer as it couldn’t be conveyed to the concerned person,” he informed.
Another prosecution witness Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan, an inland revenue officer, provided the details of tax records filed by Dar from 1979 to 1993 and 2009 to 2016 and recorded his statement before the judge.
To which, the judge inquired about tax records of missing years from 1993 to 2009.
In reply, the witness made startling revelations that Dar’s total asset during this time period spanned 16 years were increased by 91 times.
He said the former finance minister’s total assets in 1993 stood at 9.112 million Pakistani rupees which surprisingly increased to staggering 830 million of rupees in 2009.
In light of tax returns filed by Dar, the prosecution witness said the annual income of Sharif’s close-aide was 7,29,000 rupees in 1993, which soared to startling 46.462 million rupees in 2009.
Following their testimonies, District Officer Industries Asgher Hussain informed that Hajveri Organ Transplatation Trust’s director provided the financial details of the trust to the NAB.
He informed the judge that the director had previously served the trust as president.
The court then adjourned the hearing till tomorrow (Tuesday).
Judge Muhammad Bashir is conducting Dar’s trial in connection with a reference filed against him by NAB in compliance of Supreme Court’s landmark July 28 verdict, accusing him of amassing assets beyond known means of income.
Last hearing
At the last hearing on Jan 26, prosecution witnesses Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Deputy Director Saeed Ahmed Khan, Lahore Excise and Taxation Officer (ETO) Mohammad Naeem, former Nadra director Qaboos Aziz, analyst Zafar Iqbal Mufti, Inland Revenue Commissioner Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan, and Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Deputy Director Mirza Faizur Rehman documented their records before the court.
The witnesses provided bank account details of the former finance minister and his family in the NAB reference.
LDA official Rehman submitted records of Dar’s property in Lahore’s Gulberg area. He revealed that the property had previously belonged to film star Deeba.
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.
