Ishaq Dar files review plea against SC Panamagate verdict

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday filed a review plea against the Supreme Court (SC)’s landmark verdict in the Panama Papers case, ahead of his summons before National Accountability Bureau (NAB)’s investigators tomorrow.

Challenging the apex court’s verdict, the review appeal has been filed by Dar’s counsel Tariq Hassan Advocate.

The plea seeks revocation of top court’s judgment while adopting a stance that the court had given a decision without looking upon all records. Hence, the court’s judgement contains several flaws and it should be nullified.

On Sunday, the anti-graft body had once again summoned Finance Minister Ishaq Dar to turn up before it’s investigators on August 22 (Tuesday) for a probe into his assets and funds in compliance with Supreme Court’s orders.

This is the second time that the finance minister is being summoned by the anti-graft body for interrogation.

Dar did not show up despite being subpoenaed by the bureau on August 18.

It merits to mention here that the Supreme Court of Pakistan in its landmark verdict on July 28 sent Nawaz Sharif packing. The five-member bench of the apex court also asked the anti-corruption watchdog to file four references in the Rawalpindi accountability court within six week against the Sharif family in the light of evidences collected and referred by Panamagate Joint Investigation Team (JIT).

NAB was also tasked to file four references including three against the Sharif family with regard to the family’s offshore wealth while the fourth one against Ishaq Dar.

The Panamagate probe team, in its final report, revealed that Dar possessed assets and funds beyond means of his known sources of income.

READ ALSO: EX-PM SHARIF, HIS SONS DID NOT TURN UP BEFORE NAB DESPITE SUBPOENAED

In a bid to divulge the real source of Ishaq Dar’s income, JIT revealed that the finance minister had invested 5.5 million British pounds in Baraq Holdings in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The JIT’s report stated that the source of these funds were not disclosed.

The anti-graft body is likely to question excessive increase in his assets from 2008 to 2009 in the light of findings of the JIT report.