ISLAMABAD - Supreme Court Tuesday directed all concerned departments to devise strategy for extradition of former finance minister Ishaq Dar within a week.
A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar heard the case pertaining to Dar’s return to the country.
During course of proceedings, Attorney General (AG) apprised the court that Dar’s diplomatic and simple passport had been canceled and he possessed no travel documents. “The interior ministry had also blacklisted him, however ways to extradite Dar are still present,” the AG added.
When the attorney general informed that Dar had no valid travel documents, the chief justice questioned, “Then how will he come back?” Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan added, “We have an extradition treaty with the United Kingdom.” To this, the AG responded that there is a system in place through which he can be brought back, for that we will have to take this matter up in the courts over there.
The CJP remarked, “You must have the knowledge that Ishaq Dar has been declared absconder by National accountability Bureau. Is the state still unable to bring Ishaq Dar back to Pakistan?”
Meanwhile, NAB prosecutor maintained that the properties of Dar had been identified and action was underway to attach them with the case. Subsequently, the bench directed the relevant department to continue efforts and devise procedure within a week for Dar’s extradition. The hearing of the case was adjourned for one week.
It may added that the former finance minister is accused of possessing assets disproportionate to his declared sources of income and a reference against him have filed by the NAB in light of the Supreme Court’s July 28 verdict in the Panama Papers case.