NAB initiates process of declaring Ishaq Dar proclaimed offender

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has initiated the process of declaring former finance minister Ishaq Dar a proclaimed offender over his perpetual absence from the trial proceedings in the assets reference filed against him.

The NAB’s investigating officer pinned a notice to the board outside the accountability court in Islamabad on Wednesday, warning Dar to turn up before the court within 10 days or he will be declared a proclaimed offender.

Dar has been accused of amassing wealth beyond his known sources of income in the reference filed against him in compliance with the Supreme Court’s July 28 verdict in the Panama Papers.

Last week, the court declared the former finance minister an absconder and issued a show cause notice to his guarantor to explain as why his surety bonds worth Rs5 million should not confiscated for failing to ensure presence of the accused in the court.

Dar, who is currently in London, skipped the hearing on November 21 despite issuance of non-bailable warrants for his arrest, promoting the court to declare him an absconder in the case.

It granted a request by the NAB prosecution team to initiate proceedings to declare Ishaq Dar as a proclaimed offender in the assets reference.