NAB Court issues arrest warrants for Ishaq Dar

NAB Court issues arrest warrants for Ishaq Dar

ISLAMABAD: The accountability court hearing a corruption reference against Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday issued bailable warrants of arrest after he failed to appear in court. 

Dar had been summoned to appear in court today in connection with a reference by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for possessing assets beyond declared sources of income. The reference had been ordered by the Supreme Court in its July 28 judgment in the Panama Papers case. 

As the hearing began in Judge Mohammad Bashir's court, Dar's protocol officer Fazal Dad appeared in court and informed the judge that the minister is presently in London. 

The court ordered for submission of the bail bond of Rs1 million and adjourned the hearing until September 25, ordering Dar to be present in court at the next hearing. Dar was also directed to nominate someone who would serve as a bail bondsperson. 

The NAB prosecutor pleaded the court to issue arrest warrants to ensure Dar's presence in court. Following this, the court went into a recess to decide on the bureau's plea and returned with the directions of ordering bailable warrants of arrest for the finance minister.

Sources within NAB informed that summons for Dar was sent to his residence in Islamabad and his personal address in Lahore.